/• '/r/V/v     -    Ssr.  f : 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
DAVIS 


^--      v 
^.  I 


1.  Booted  tarsus  of  a  Robin.  2.  Bill  of  a  Robin.  3.  Scutellate  tarsus  of  the  Brown 
Thrush.  4.  Bill  of  the  Brown  Thrush.  5.  Bill  of  a  nuthatch.  6.  Bill  of  a  creeper.  7. 
Bill  of  a  warbler;  genus  Helmintlwphaga ;  8,  Dendrceca ;  9,  Myiodioctes.  10.  Wing-feather 
of  the  Cedar-bird,  with  horny  appendage.  11.  Head  of  a  Cedar-bird,  with  crest  raised. 
12.  Bill  of  the  Goldfinch.  13.  Bill  of  the  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak.  14.  Bill  of  the  Sharp- 
tailed  Finch.  15.  Tail-feathers  of  the  same  bird.  16.  Bill  of  a  crossbill.  17.  Hind-toe 
and  claw  of  the  Snow  Bunting.  18.  Bill  of  the  Red-winged  Blackbird.  19.  Bill  of  the 
Canada  Ja*y.  20.  Bill  of  the  Great  Crested  Flycatcher;  (21.)  as  seen  from  above.  22.  "  Mu- 
cronate"  tail-feathers  of  the  Chimney  Swift.  23.  Head  of  the  Chimney  Swift.  24.  "  Syn- 
dactyle "  foot  of  the  Kingfisher.  25.  Bill  of  the  Downy  Woodpecker.  26.  Raptorial  bill 
(genus  Accipiter).  27.  Tip  of  bill,  genus  Falco.  28.  Bill  of  a  pigeon.  29.  Tarsus  of  a 
pigeon. 


THE 


LAND-BIRDS  AND  GAME-BIRDS 


OF 


NEW   ENGLAND 


WITH 


DESCRIPTIONS  OF  THE  BIRDS,  THEIR  NESTS  AND  EGGS, 
THEIR  HABITS  AND  NOTES. 


WITH    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


BY 

H.    D.    MINOT. 


"  To  him  who  in  the  love  of  Nature  holds 

"  Communion  with  her  visible  forms,  she  speaks 

"A  various  language;" 

BRYANT'S  THANATOPSIS. 


SALEM,  MASS. 

NATUKALISTS'    AGENCY. 

BOSTON:  ESTES  &  LAURIAT. 
1877. 

•>i>c/.  \Vli 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1876,  by 

HENRY    DAVIS    MINOT, 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress  at  Washington. 


PRINTED  AT 

THE    SALEM    PRESS. 

F.  W.  PUTNAM  &  Co., 

Proprietors. 


THIS  book  has  been  written  from  a  desire  to  interest,  if  not 
to  instruct,  young  people  in  that  most  attractive  branch  of 
Natural  History,  the  study  of  birds.  If  this  purpose  is  ac- 
complished, I  trust  that  its  deficiencies  may  be  pardoned.  In 
my  early  study  of  ornithology,  I  felt  great  need  of  some  similar 
book ;  hence  my  attempt  to  supply  it.  I  have  made  several 
quotations  in  my  own  name  from  occasional  notes  which  I  have 
already  given  to  the  public.  This  is  in  accordance  with  my 
original  expectation  of  publishing  the  following  pages  anony- 
mously— a  course,  however,  which  has  been  thought  inad- 
visable. 

H.  D.  MINOT. 
Nov.  1st,  1876. 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE. 

Preface, vii 

Introduction,           ........  1 

§  A.    Ornithology  and  Oology,      ....  1 

§  §  B-G.   Collecting  Eggs, 4 

§  H.   Packing  Eggs, 7 

§  I.   Blowing  Eggs,       ......  8 

§J.    Cleaning  and  Mending  Eggs,         ...  11 
.     §K.   Arrangement  of  Eggs,          .         .         .         .11 

§L.    Cabinet, 12 

§M.   Nesting, 13 

§  N.   Birds'  Homes, 14 

§  O.    Laying  of  Eggs,            .....  15 

§P.   Desertion, .16 

§  Q.   Exigencies, 17 

§R.   Advice, 17 

§  S.   The  Study  of  Birds, 18 

§T.   Details  of  Structure  ;  Terms  of  Description,  19 
§  U.   Measurements,     .         .         .         .         .         .21 

§  V,  W.   Classification ;  Scientific  Names,     .         .  21 

Land-birds  and  Game-birds  of  New  England,          .         .  25 

Chapter     I.   Order  Passeres, 27 

§    1.   Thrushes  (Turdidce),                  .         .  28 

§    2.   Bluebirds  (Saxicolidce) ,              .         .  50 

§    a   Sylvias  (Sylviidce),  .                 .        .  53 

§    4.   Titmice  (Paridce),    .  58 

§    5.   Nuthatches  (Sittidce),                 .         .  63 

§    6.    Creepers  (Certhiidce) ,                 .         .  68 

§    7.   Wrens  (Troglodytidce) ,               .         .  70 

§    8.   Wagtails  (Motacillida/) ,             .         .  79 

,    §    9.   Warblers  (Sylvicolidce) ,             .         .  80 

§10.   Tanagers  (Tanagridce) ,             .         .  133 

§11.   Waxwings  (Ampelidce),             .         .  137 

§12.   Swallows  (Hirundinidce),          .        .  140 

(v) 


vi 


CONTENTS. 


Chapter     I.   §13.  Vireos  (Vireonidce) ,          .  .  .151 

§14.  Shrikes  (Laniidce),   .         .  .  .     161 

§15.  Finches  (Fringillidce),      .  .  .166 

§16.  Larks  (Alaudidce),    .         .  .  .237 

§17.  Starlings  (Icteridce),          .  .  .     240 

§18.  Crows  and  jays  (Corvidce),  .  .     262 

§19.  Flycatchers  (Tyrannidce) ,  .  .272 

Chapter    II.   Order  Picarice, 293 

§20.   Goatsuckers  (Caprimulgidce) ,  .  .     294 

§21.    Swifts  (Cypselidce),  .         .         .  .299 

§22.   Hummingbirds  ( Trochilidce) ,    .  .     301 

§23.   Kingfishers  (Akedinidce) ,          .  .305 

§24.   Cuckoos  (Cuculidce),         .         .  .307 

§25.   Woodpeckers  (Picidce),    ,        ..  .     311 

Chapter  III.   Order  Raptor es, 326 

§26.    Owls  (Strigidce),       ....  327 

§27.   Hawks  and  eagles  (Falconidce),         .  345 

§28.   American  vultures  (Cathartidce),       .  375 

Chapter  IV.   Order  Columbce, 377 

§  29.   Pigeons  and  doves  (Columbidce)^       .     377 

Chapter    V.   The  Game-birds, 386 

§30.   Grouse  (Tetraonidce),       .         .         .  386 

§31.   Partridges  (Perdicidce) ,    .         .         .  .393 

§32.   Snipe,  etc.  (Scolopacidce) ,         .        .  399 

Appendix, 413 

A.  Ornithological  Calendar  for  E. 'Massachusetts,  413 

B.  Distribution  of  the  Birds  of  New  England,     . .  419 

C.  A  Key  to  the  Eggs  of  Massachusetts,     .         .  423 

D.  A  Key  to  the  Land-birds  of  New  England,     .  430 

E.  Colorations  peculiar  to  Young  Birds,      .         .  439 

Or  to  Mature  Birds  in  the  Winter-season,    .  439 

F.  Additions  and  Corrections,      ....  443 

G.  Abstract  of  the  Game-laws  of  Massachusetts,  444 

Indices. 445 

Index  to  English  Names  (with  references),          .         .     445 
Index  to  Scientific  Names  (with  authorities  and  accent),    454 


PKEFACE. 

THIS  volume  has  been  written  to  fill  a  place  hitherto  vacant 
in  ornithological  literature.  The  works  of  Wilson,1  Audubon,2 
and  Nuttall,3  are  costly,  and  rjfrely  offered  for  sale,  having 
been  in  a  gfeat  measure  superseded  by  modern  authors.  The 
recent  and  most  complete  work  on  American  Ornithology,4  that 
of  Messrs.  Baird,  Brewer,  and  Ridgway,  is  also  costly.  Mr. 
Samuels'  book  on  the  "Birds  of  New  England  and  Adjacent 
States  "  5  has  been  thought  too  expensive  to  be  within  the  reach 
of  all,  and  more  or  less  inaccurate  and  incomplete.  Dr.  Coues' 
admirable  "  Key  to  North  American  Birds,"6  which  is  probably 
the  best  book  of  reference  for  collectors,  and  students  of  inani- 
mate birds,  treats  merely  of  structure,  classification,  and  spe- 
cific descriptions.  The  same  author's  "Field  Ornithology,"7 
and  Mr.  Maynard's  "Naturalist's  Guide,"8  have  also  been 

i"  American  Ornithology."  Wilson.  9  vols.  Philadelphia,  1814.  Brought 
down  by  Ord  to  1827.  Also  4  volumes  by  Bonaparte,  of  the  Birds  not  given  by 
Wilson.  Philadelphia,  1833. 

2 a.  " Ornithological  Biography."  Audubon.  1838.  b.  Enlarged  to  "Birds  of 
America"  in  1841. 

» "A  Manual  of  the  Ornithology  of  the  United  States  'and  Canada."  Nuttall. 
1832,  1840. 

4 "  North  American  Birds."  Baird,  Brewer,  and  Ridgway.  Little,  Brown,  & 
Co.,  Boston,  1874. 

6 "Birds,"  or  "Ornithology  and  Oology,"  "of  New  England  (and  Adjacent 
States)."  E.  A.  Samuels.  1887. 

«  "  Key  to  North  American  Birds,"  with  a  list  of  fossil  birds.  Coues.  Natural- 
ists' Agency,  Salem,  Mass. 

* "  Field  Ornithology,"  with  "  a  Check  List  of  North  American  Birds."*  Coues. 
Naturalists'  Agency,  Salem,  Mass. 

*The  check-list  has  been  published  separately.  The  older  Smithsonian  list  may 
be  obtained  from  the  Naturalist's  Agency,  Salem,  Mass.  To  the  above-mentioned 
books  of  reference  may  be  added  various  local  catalogues,  and  the  first  volume, 
lately  published,  of  "  Life-histories  of  the  Birds  of  Eastern  Pennsylvania,  by 
Thomas  G.  Gentry." 

8 "  The  Naturalist's  Guide,"  "  with  a  complete  catalogue  of  the  birds  of  Eastern 
Massachusetts,"  and  notes  relative  to  their  migrations,  etc.  C.  J.  Maynard.  Fields, 
Osgood,  &  Co.,  Bo.-ton,  1870. 


Vlll  PREFACE. 

•written  for •  collectors,  being  chiefly  manuals  of  taxidermy. 
The  former,  so  far  as  it  extends,  is  the  fuller  of  the  two.  The 
author  of  this  ornithological  biography  has  endeavored  to  make 
it  inexpensive,  trustworthy,  original,  and  not  a  compilation. 
He  is  aware  that  it  is  incomplete,  treating  only  of  the  land- 
birds  and  game-birds,  which  are,  of  all,  however,  the  most 
accessible  to  a  majority  of  persons,  the  most  numerous,  and 
certainly  the  most  generally  interesting.  He  hopes,  however, 
that  should  this  volume  be*favorably  received,  some  naturalist 
will  undertake  the  biography  of  the  wading  antl  swimming 
birds,  which  he  himself  is  incapable  of  doing,  not  having  had 
opportunities  to  make  sufficient  observations.  This  volume 
may  be  found  further  incomplete,  and  he  hopes  therefore  that 
criticisms  and  corrections  will  be  freely  made,  that  into  a 
second  edition,  should  there  be'  one,  he  may  incorporate  ad- 
ditional facts.  That  he  might  not  be,  or  seem  guilty  of  pla- 
giarism, he  has  written  his  biographies  before  reading  those  of 
others,  and  has  afterwards  consulted  Wilson,  etc.,  for  such  inter- 
esting facts  as  were  unmentioned  by  himself.  These  borrowed 
statements,  or  passages  quoted  for  their  intrinsic  value,  have 
been  invariably  attributed  to  their  authors,  or  placed  in  quota- 
tion-marks.9 Sometimes,  however,  in  spite  of  these  precau- 
tions, he  has  employed  much  the  same  words  as  other  writers, 
in  describing  the  same  facts.  The  biographies  of  the  game- 
birds  have  been  contributed  by  a  friend,  except  those  of  the 
Canada  and  Pinnated  Grouse. 

The  author  has  endeavored  to  mention  in  detail  the  ordinary 
or  minor  notes  of  various  birds,  since  these  are  often  more  satis- 
factorily characteristic  than  musical  notes,  which  are  usually 
heard  during  a  limited  portion  of  the  year.  He  has,  moreover, 
endeavored,  when  possible,  to  convey  an  idea  of  several  songs 


9  In  the  case  of  a  few  rare  birds,  the  author  has  satisfied  himself  with  corrobor- 
ating the  statements  of  others,  instead  of  making  statements  based  entirely  upon 
his  own  authority  and  experience.  He  has  not  hesitated,  however,  to  state  very 
general  facts,  which  he  cannot  personally  attest,  such  as  that  vultures  feed  chiefly 
on  carrion,  etc.  These  cases  are  principally  confined  to  remarks  on  distribution 
and  habitat. 


PREFACE.  IX 

through  the  medium  of  words,  but  he  has  generally  been  obliged 
to  employ  other  means,  since  it  is  difficult  to  do  the  former  sat- 
isfactorily. It  is  probable  that,  were  a  dozen  persons  asked  to 
express  verbally  any  music  of  -this  kind,  they  would  each 
employ  different  S3Tllables.  Many  birds  have  two  or  three 
easily  distinguishable  combinations  of  musical  sounds,  or  in 
different  districts  of  the  country  have  songs  which  are  very 
distinct.  The  notes  of  many  warblers,  particularly  those  oc- 
curring in  Massachusetts  as  migrants  only,  need  to  be  learned 
and  studied  more  than  those  of  any  other  group  of  our  avi- 
fauna. The  author  does  not  pretend  to  have  treated  these 
completely  or  satisfactorily,  the  less  so  that  he  has  lost  sev- 
eral memoranda.  The  warblers  sing,  however,  during  their 
migrations  in  spring,  particularly  in  the  early  morning,  more 
than  many  naturalists  suppose.  Mr.  Allen,  in  the  preface  to 
his  "Notes  on  Some  of  the  Rarer  Birds  of  Massachusetts," 
makes  the  following  admirable  and  instructive  remarks  on  the 
variation  in  birds'  songs,  distributions,  etc. 

"  Only  by  knowing  thoroughly  the  fauna  of  a  locality  can 
the  subsequent  changes  in  it,  induced  by  its  becoming  more 
densely  settled,  or  by  other  causes,  be  traced.  As  is  well 
known,  the  mammalian  and  bird  faunae  of  all  the  older  settled 
parts  of  the  United  States  are  vastly  different  from  what  they 
were  two  hundred  years  ago.  These  changes  consist  mainly 
in  the  great  decrease  in  numbers  of  the  representatives  of  all 
the  larger  species,  not  a  few  of  which  are  already  extirpated 
where  they  were  formerly  common  ;  a  few  of  the  smaller  spe- 
cies of  both  classes  have  doubtless  increased  in  numbers.  Two 
causes  operate  unfavorably  upon  the  larger  ones ;  the  disfor- 
esting of  the  country  and  the  sporting  propensities  of  the 
people,  everything  large  enough  to  be  shot,  whether  useful  or 
otherwise,  being  considered  as  legitimate  game." 

"Many  of  the  water-fowl  that  are  now  only  transient  visit- 
ors, as  the  Canada  Goose,  the  several  •  species  of  Merganser, 
Teals,  Black  Duck  and  Mallard,  undoubtedly  once  bred  in  this 
state,  as  did  also  .the  Wild  Turkey  and  the  Prairie  Hen." 

"  In  comparatively  recent  times,  geologically  speaking,  prob- 


X  PREFACE. 

ably  other  causes,  as  climatic,  have  been  operating  to  effect 
a  gradual  northward  migration,  in  certain  species  at  least. 
These  changes  are  of  great  interest,  not  only  generally,  but  in 
a  scientific  point  of  view,  and  we  shall  be  able  to  trace  them 
and  their  causes  only  by  comparing,  from  time  to  time,  ex- 
haustive faunal  records  of  the  same  localities. 

"In  a  district  so  little  diversified  as  that  portion  of  Massa- 
chusetts lying  east  of  the  Connecticut  River,  it  is  perhaps  a 
little  unexpected  that  marked  discrepancies  should  occur  in 
the  observations  made  at  adjoining  localities  by  equally  compe- 
tent naturalists,  in  respect  to  the  relative  abundance  of  certain 
species.  As  every  experienced  observer  must  have  noticed 
that  the  birds  of  passage,  as  many  of  the  Warblers  especially, 
vary  greatly  in  numbers  in  different  years,  and  in  the  time 
occupied  by  them  in  passing  a  given  locality,  it  is  less  surpris- 
ing .that  at  different  points  they  should  vary  in  abundance  the 
same  year.  Among  the  birds  that  regularly  breed  in  the  dis- 
trict in  question,  there  are  some  that  -are  not  equally  common 
.at  all  points." 

"Birds,  as  probably  other  animals,  are  not  quite  so  invari- 
able in  their  habits  as  has  been  commonly  supposed,  nor  in  the 
precise  character  of  their  notes  and  songs,  or  the  situation  and 
materials  of  which  they  compose  their  nests.  Hence  one  should 
not  rashly  question  the  accounts  given  by  usually  reliable  au- 
thorities, because  in  particular  instances  they  do  not  accord 
with  their  own  observations.  Neither  should  differences  in 
habits,  in  song,  etc.,  be  taken  as  infallible  evidence  of  a  differ- 
ence of  species." 

"How  universally  the  Chipping  Sparrow  (Spizella  socialis) 
breeds  in  trees,  and  generally  at  an  elevation  of  several  feet, 
is  well  known,  but  several  authentic  instances  of  this  bird's 
nesting  on  the  ground  have  'corne  to  my  knowledge,  one  of 
which  I  myself  discovered.  Variations  of  this  character  in 
other  species  are  of  occasional  occurrence,  examples  of  which 
have  doubtless  been  met  with  by  every  experienced  collector. 

"The  materials  which  birds  select  in  the  construction  of 
their  nests  are  well  known  to  vary  in  different  localities ;  the 


PREFACE.  Xl 

gr'eater  care  exhibited  by  some  species  to  secure  a  soft  warm 
lining  at  the  north  that  are  much  less  precautions  in  this  re- 
spect at  the  south,  is  already  a  recorded  fact.  Aside  from  this, 
the  abundance  of  certain  available  materials  occurring  at  only 
particular  localities  gives  a  marked  character  to  the  nests  there 
built,  which  serves  to  distinguish  them  from  those  from  other 
points.  Some  of  the  Thrushes,  for  instance,  make  use  of  a 
peculiar  kind  of  moss  at  some  localities  that  elsewhere,  from 
its  absence,  are  compelled  to  substitute  for  it  fine  grass  or  dry 
leaves.  At  Ipswich,  on  Cape  Cod,  and  perhaps  generally  in 
the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  sea,  the  Purple  Grackles  (Quis- 
calus  versicolor)  and  Red-winged  Blackbirds  (Agelceus  plioe,- 
niceus),  and  in  fact  numerous  other  species,  in  building  their 
nests  often  use  little  else  than  dry  eel-grass  or  « sea-wrack,' 
which  results  in  nest-structures  widely  different  in  appearance 
from  those  of  their  relatives  residing  in  the  interior.  Every 
egg-collector  is  aware  of  the  wide  variations  eggs  of  the  same 
set  may  present,  not  only  in  the  markings  and  in  the  tint  of 
the  ground  color,  but  in  size  and  form,  and  especially  how  wide 
these  differences  sometimes  are  in  eggs  of  different  birds  of 
the  same  species.  Also  how  different  the  behavior  of  the  bird 
is  when  its  nest  is  approached,  in  some  cases  the  parents 
appearing  almost  utterly  regardless  of- their  own  safety  in  their 
anxiety  for  their  eggs  or  helpless  young,  while  other  parents 
of  the  same  species  quietly  witness  the  robbing  of  their  nest 
at  a  safe  distance,  and  evince  no  extraordinary  emotion.  Those 
who  have  witnessed  this,  and  have  also  watched  the  behavior 
of  birds  when  undisturbed  in  their  quiet  retreats,  will  grant,  I 
think,  the  same  diversity  of  disposition  and  temperament  to 
obtain  among  birds  that  is  seen  in  man  himself. 

"  In  respect  to  the  songs  of  birds,  who  that  has  attentively 
listened  to  the  singing  of  different  Robins,  Wood  Thrushes 
or  Purple  Finchea,  has  not  detected  great  differences  in  the 
vocal  powers  of  rival  songsters  of  the  same  species  ?  Different 
individuals  of  some  species,  especially  among  the  Warblers, 
sing  so  differently* that  the  expert  field  ornithologist  is  often 
puzzled  to  recognize  them ;  especially  is  this  so  in  the  Black 


Xii  PREFACE. 

and  White  Creeper  (Mniotilta  varia)  and  the  Black-throated 
Green  Warbler  (Dendroeca  virens).  But  the  strangest  example 
of  this  sort  I  have  noticed  I  think  was  the  case  of  an  Oriole 
(Icterus  Baltimore)  that  I  heard  at  Ipswich  last  season.  So 
different  were  its  notes  from  the  common  notes  of  the  Balti- 
more that  I  failed  entirely  to  refer  them  to  that  bird  till  I  saw 
its  author." 

"Aside  from  such  unusual  variations  as  this,  which  we  may 
consider  as  accidental,  birds  of  unquestionably  the  same  spe- 
cies, as  the  Crow,  the  Blue  Jay,  the  Towhe10  and  others,  at 
remote  localities,  as  New  England,  Florida,  Iowa,  etc.,  often 
possess  either  general  differences  in  their  notes  and  song, 
easily  recognizable,  or  certain  notes  at  one  of  these  localities 
never  heard  at  the  others,  or  an  absence  of  some  that  are  else- 
where familiar.  This  is  perhaps  not  a  strange  fact,  since  it  is 
now  so  well  known  that  birds  of  the  same  species  present  cer- 
tain well  marked  variations  in  size  according  to  the  latitude 
and  elevation  above  the  sea  of  the  locality  at  which  they  were 
born,  and  that  they  vary  considerably,  though  doubtless  within 
a  certain  range,  in  many  structural  points  at  one  and  the  same 
locality.  In  other  words,  since  it  is  known  that  all  the  differ- 
ent individuals  of  a  species  are  not  exactly  alike,  as  though  all 
were  cast  in  the  same  die,  as  some  naturalists  appear  to  have 
believed. 

"  Certain  irregularities  in  the  breeding  range  of  birds  have 
also  come  to  light.  It  is  perhaps  not  remarkable  that  a  pair 
of  birds  of  species  that  regularly  breed  in  northern  New  Eng- 
land should  now  and  then  pass  the  summer  and  rear  their 
young,  in  the  southern  part,  as  has  been  the  case  in  certain 
known  instances  in  the  Snow  Bird  (Junco  hy  emails) ,  the  Pine 
Finch  (Chrysomitris  pinus),  and  the  White-throated  Sparrow 
(Zonotrichia  albicollis)  ;  but  it  is  otherwise  with  the  Snow 
Bunting  (Plectrophanes  nivalis) ,  "which  rarely  breeds  south  of 
Labrador,  of  which  there  is  a  single  well  authenticated  instance 


« It  is  to  be  remarked  that  a  variety  of  this  bird  has  recently  been  found  in 
Florida. 


PREFACE.  Xtii 

of  its  breeding  near  Springfield.  The  casual  visits  of  northern 
birds  in  winter,  which  we  may  suppose  sometimes  results  from 
their  being  driven  south  by  want  of  food  or  the  severity  of  the 
season,  are  also  less  remarkable,  it  appears  to  me,  than  the 
occurrence  here  of  southern  species,  as  of  the  two  Egrets,  the 
Little  Blue  Heron  (Florida  Ccerulea)  the  Gallinules  and  other 
aquatic  species,  which  never,  so  far  as  known  (with  one  excep- 
tion perhaps),  breed  so  far  north.  In" the  latter  case  they  are 
generally  young  birds  that  reach  us  towards  fall  in  their  chance 
wanderings. 

"  It  may  here  be  added  that  the  cause  of  the  migration  of  our 
birds*  still  offers  an  interesting  field  for  investigation.  Obser- 
vers are  of  late  noting  that  in  the  case  of  some  northern  spe- 
cies that  reach  us  only  occasionally  in  their  winter  migrations, 
young  birds  only  are  at  first  seen,  but  if  the  migration  contin- 
ues the  older  birds  appear  at  a  later  date.  But  sometimes 
young  birds  only  are  seen.  This  frequently  happens  in  the 
case  of  the  Pine  Grosbeak  (Pinicola  eneudeator).  The  cause 
of  their  visits  is  not  always,  it  is  evident,  severe  weather  ;  the 
last  named  species  appearing  sometimes  in  November, — weeks 
before  severe  cold  sets  in  —  while  at  other  times  it  is  not 
seen  at  all  during  some  of  our  severest  winters.  The  probable 
cause  is  more  frequently,  doubtless,  a  short  supply  of  food,  as 
last  winter  was  remarkable  in  this  state  for  its  mildness  and 
for  the  great  number  of  northern  birds  that  then  visited  us. 
It  has  repeatedly  been  observed  that  on  their  first  arrival  these 
unusual  visitors  are  generally  very  lean,  but  that  they  soon 
fatten  ;  an  argument  in  favor  of  the  theory  that  their  migra- 
tion was  compelled  by  a  scarcity  of  food. 

"Probably  fewer  birds  are  actually  permanently  resident  at 
a  given  locality  than  is  commonty  supposed,  for  species  seen 
the  whole  year  at  the  same  locality,  as  the  Blue  Jay,  the  Tit- 
mouse, the  Brown  Creeper,  and  the  Hairy  and  Downy  Wood- 
pecker, etc.,  in  Massachusetts,  are  represented,  not  by  the 
same,  but  by  different  sets  of  individuals,  those  seen  here  in 
summer  being  not  those  seen  in  winter,  the  species  migrating 
north  and  south,  en  masse,  with  the  change  of  season.  We 


XIV  PREFACE. 

are  generally  cognizant  of  a  migration  in  a  given  species  only 
when  the  great  "  bird  wave"  sweeps  entirely  past  us  either  to 
the  north  or  south.  Some  species,  however,  seem  actually 
fixed  at  all  seasons,  and  are  really  essentially  non-migratory, 
as  the  Spruce  Partridge,  and  Quail  (Ortyx  Virginianus)  are  in 
New  England.  But  only  a  small  proportion,  doubtless,  of  the 
so-called  non-migratory  birds  at  any  given  locality  are  really 
so.* 

"In  connection  with  this  topic  of  migration,  the  fact  that  some 
of  the  young  or  immature  individuals  of  our  marine  birds,  as 
the  Herring  Gull  (Larus  argentatus)  and  other  species  of  that 
family,  and  several  of  the  Tringse,  linger  on  our  coast  daring, 
summer,  while  the  adult  all  retire  northward,  is  one  of  some 
interest.  Mature  and  strong  birds  only,  in  species  that  breed 
far  to  the  north,  evidently  seek  very  high  latitudes.  Birds  of 
the  first  year  also  appear  to  roam  less  widely  than  the  older. 
In  different  species  of  the  Gull  family  it  is  generally  only  the 
mature  birds  that  in  winter  are  seen  far  out  at  sea,  though  in 
the  same  latitudes  the  young  may  be  numerous  along  the  coast. 
All  observant  collectors  are  well  aware  of  the  fact  that  those 
birds  that  first  reach  us  in  the  spring,  of  whatever  species,  are 
generally  not  only  very  appreciably  larger,  but  brighter  plum- 
aged  and  in  every  way  evidently  more  perfect  birds  than  those 
that  arrive  later  ;  and  that  in  those  species  that  go  entirely  to 
the  north  of  us  there  is  a  much  larger  proportion  of  paler  col- 
ored and  immature  birds,  especially  among  the  Sylvicolidce,  or 
warblers,  towards  the  close  of  the  migrating  season  than  ear- 
lier. Hence  the  presence  here  of  a  few  individuals  in  summer 
of  species  that  usually  go  farther  north  is  not  always  sufficient 
evidence  that  the  species  breeds  with  us."  n 

Good  illustrations  are  of  great  assistance  to  young  students, 
teaching   them,  better   than   words,  characteristic   details  of 


*"In  respect  to  the  proof  whereon  this  proposition  rests,  see  my  remarks  on 
this  point  in  the  Memoirs  of  the  Boston  Society  of  Natural  History,  Vol.  i,  Ft.  iv, 
p.  488  (foot  note)." 

11  Several  passages  or  sentences  have,  for  convenience,  been  omitted  in  this 
extract. 


PREFACE.  XV 

structure,  and  the  general  differences  of  appearance  in  the 
birds  of  various  families  or  groups.  The  illustrations  of  this 
volume  are  woodcuts  in  outline,  the  only  satisfactory  form,  not 
greatly  increasing  its  cost,  of  which  the  author  has  bethought 
himself.  He  ;lhas  drawn  most  of  the  figures  from  nature  —  he 
hopes  with  accuracy,  though,  since  the  scales  vary,  and  (when 
fractional)  are  only  approximate,  they  do  not  satisfactorily 
represent  the  relative  size  of  the  birds  figured.12  The  outlines 
of  the  Chickadee,  Night  "  Hawk,"  and  Golden-winged  Wood- 
pecker, have  been  copied  from  Wilson's  pictures  ;  thos'e  of  the 
Winter  Wren  were  suggested  by  a  picture  in  Dr.  Coues*  "  Key 
to  North  American  Birds."  The  details  of  structure  have  all 
been  drawn  from  nature  by  the  author,  though  several  hints 
have  been  taken  from  the  latter  volume.  The  outlines  of  birds 
very  well  known,  or  nearly  related  to  others  figured,  have  been 
omitted.  It  may  be  here  remarked  that  in  the  figure  of  the 
Traill's  Flycatcher  the  tail  is  broader  and  more  rounded  than 
is  observable  in  the  living  bird  when  at  rest.  In  some  other 
figures,  the  notch  of  the  bill  is  indistinct. 

This  volume  contains  several  facts,  never  before  published, 
so  far  as  the  author  knows,  except  a  few,  which  have  appeared 
in  magazines  or  pamphlets.  It  also  possesses  new  features, 
which  will,  it  is  hoped,  facilitate  the  acquisition  of  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  our  birds,  though  it  contains  no  more  scientific 
details  than  necessary.  The  classification,  with  slight  changes 
in  sequence,  is  that  used  by  Professor  Baird  and  Dr.  Coues. 
The  introduction  (which  is  divided  intov  sections,  marked  by 
letters)  relates  chiefly  to  the  formation  of  a  collection  of  eggs, 
containing,  however,  a  section  on  structural  details,  and  an- 
other on  classification.  Each  of  the  succeeding  chapters  treats 
of  an  ornithological  order,  though  the  last  treats  of  the  game- 
birds.  Each  chapter  is  divided  into  sections,  which  are  con- 
tinuously numbered  throughout  (in  Arabic  figures),  and  which 
mark  the  various  families  (subfamilies  being  otherwise  indi- 


12  These  have  not  been  drawn  so  as  to  exhibit  the  longest  primary,  spurious 
feathers,  scutellce,  or  the  like,  unless  in  the  plate. 


XVI  PREFACE. 

cated).  The  genera  of  each  section  are  marked  by  Roman 
numerals,  and  the  species  belonging  to  them  by  capital  letters 
in  parenthesis.  The  biography  of  each  species  is  divided  into 
four  parts  : —  (a)  a  description  of  the  mature  birds  (but  not  of 
the  young,  for  which  see  the  Appendix  E)  ;  (b)  a  description 
of  their  nest  and  eggs ;  (c)  a  description  of  their  habits,  and 
(d)  of  their  notes.  In  the  first  part,  various  minute  details 
are  frequently  omitted,  which  it  has  been  thought  unnecessary 
to  introduce.  In  spelling  the  English  names  of  birds,  the 
following  system  has  been  here  adopted.  Specific  names  are 
begun  with  capital  letters  to  distinguish  them  from  similar 
names  of  groups  (e.  g.  the  Crow  Blackbirds)  ;  when  they  are 
composed  partly  of  a  family-name,  such  as  "thrush,"  that 
name  is  never  compounded  with  another  (e.  g.  Wood  Thrush)  ; 
when  they  are  compounds  of  "bird,"  that  word  is  united  by  a 
hyphen  to  a  noun  immediately  preceding,  but  not  to  an  adjec- 
tive, except  in  cases  to  the  contrary,  established  by  long  usage 
(e.  g.  Cat-bird,  Blue  Bird,  but  Swamp  Blackbird). 

Finally,  that  this  book  may  prove  useful  to  students,  inter- 
esting to  lovers  of  nature,  and  acceptable  to  the  public,  is  the 
hope  and  wish  of  its 

1876.  AUTHOR. 


INTRODUCTION. 


§  A.  Ornithology  is  the  science  of  birds,  and  oology  that 
of  eggs,  or,  in  a  common  but  limited  sense,  that  of  birds' 
eggs.  The  two  are  intimately 'connected,  and  often  form  a 
joint  study,  one  embracing  the  other.  They  are  useful, 
because,  when  properly  pursued,  they  cultivate  observation 
and  a  love  of  nature,  and  necessitate  healthful  exercise. 
"  Ornithology,"  says  an  enthusiastic  but  anonymous  writer, 
u  has  two  departments,  which  are  more  or  less  incompatible, 
namely  :  Natural  History,  and  Science,  or  the  study  of  animate 
birds,  and  of  those  inanimate.  The  former,  especially  as 
opposed  to  an  extreme  of  the  latter,  I  recommend  to  all  young 
students  as  the  higher  and  better  pursuit  of  the  two.  I  fur- 
ther advise  them,  when  not  snooting  at  targets  or  legitimate 
game,  never  to  fire  a  gun.  My  own  experience  has  proved 
that,  when  science  is  so  far  advanced  as  at  present,  one  can 
obtain  an  accurate  knowledge  of  our  birds,  and  a  good  collec- 
tion of  their  eggs,  by  following  the  above  rule,  and  having 
proper  books  of  reference,  or  a  like  resource.  Egg-collecting 
can  be  conducted  under  humane  principles.  A  parent-bird 
should  never  be  shot,  except  in  cases  of  extreme  necessity, 
it  being  often  preferable  even  then  to  snare  the  female  by 
placing  a  slip-noose  of  horse-hair  around  the  inner  edge  of  her 
2  (1) 


Z  INTRODUCTION. 

nest  and  attaching  it  to  some  neighboring  object.  I  myself, 
from  as  near  a  standpoint  as  possible,  and  often  aided  by  an 
opera-glass,  observe,  if  I  can,  the  female  when  actually  upon 
her  nest,  since  other  birds  may  be  about  it,  and  may  even 
make  complaints  from  sympathy,  or  because  their  own  nests 
are  near  by.1  Should  she  fly  too  soon,  I  either  return  after  a 
few  moments'  absence  or  concealment  (as  I  often  do  in  prefer- 
ence to  doing  mischief  by  keeping  her  too  long  from  her  nest), 
or  I  follow  her  with  my  eye,  endeavoring  not  to  lose  sight  of 
her  nor  to  confuse  her  with  any  other  species,  and  note,  so  far 
as  possible,  all  her  markings,  which,  until  I  became  an  expert, 
I  always  noted  down  on  the  spot,  to  compare  with  full  descrip- 
tions at  home.  Practice  enables  one  to  recognize  many  birds, 
particularly  the  larger  ones,  at  a  glance,  and  to  note  readily 
the  most  characteristic  markings  ;  but  there  is  no  objection  to 
shooting  hawks,  which  are  less  easily  identified  otherwise  than 
smaller  species.  There  are  some  persons  who  are  too  inaccu- 
rate to  follow  this  method,  and  with  such,  or  with  those  per- 
sonally unknown  to  you,  it  is  well  never  to  exchange.  Males 
are  generally  more  easity  identified  than  females,  and  fre- 
quently sit  upon  their  nests,  though  most  often  appearing 
when  their  mates  are  disturbed.  Confusion  may  easily  arise 
from  two  varieties  of  one  species,  but  both  forms  rarely  occur 
in  the  same  district,  and,  according  to  a  strict  definition  of  the 
word  "  variety,"  can  never  normally  do  so.  The  only  varie- 
ties (not  belonging  to  original  types)  which  occur  in  New 
England  among  land-birds,  are  the  Gray-cheeked  Thrush,  the 
Bronzed  Blackbird,2  and  the  Red-naped  Woodpecker,  of  which 
the  first-named  has  been  sometimes  ranked  as  a  species,  and 

*  It  may  be  added  that  Cow-birds  never  lay  their  eggs  but  in  the  nests  of  other 
birds.    See  §17,  III. 
2  "  This  bird  is  thought  to  build  in  holes,  while  the  Crow  Blackbird  does  not.'-' 


INTRODUCTION.  3 

at  least  has  not  been  known  to  breed  in  the  eastern  United 
States.3 

"Bird-collecting,  on  the  other  hand,  unavoidably  leads  to 
more  or  less  cruelty,  in  many  cases  to  absolute  barbarity, 
and  is  at  present  carried  to  an  alarming  excess.  Slaughter 
by  hundreds  should  be  permitted  among  only  a  few  eminent 
and  competent  naturalists,  such  as  Messrs.  Allen  and  Coues. 
Otherwise,  it  becomes  an  outrage  upon  nature,  a  positive  in- 
jury to  science,  and  a  mere  source  of  self-gratification.  Young 
collectors,  who  are  not  to  become  scientists,  should  form  their 
collections  for  the  sake  of  beauty  in  nature,  and  might  well 
be  satisfied  with  two  good  specimens,  well-mounted,  of  each 
kind,  namely:  the  mature  male  and  female.  In  the  case  of 
a  scientific  collection  this  would  be  wholly  inadmissible,  and 
collectors  should  certainly  shoot  any  specimen  of  a  kind  never 
before  taken  in  that  district  where  they  may  chance  to  meet 
it,  or  those  birds  which  they  find  in  a  country  new  to  them- 
selves, or  perhaps  to  all  ornithologists.  Otherwise,  may  I 
venture  to  ask  what  new  facts  one  can  make  known  from  own- 
ing the  skins  of  several  hundred  unfortunate  robins  ?  All  our 
rarer  birds,  or  those  of  market-value,  are  in  danger  of  being 
altogether  exterminated,  through  a  foolish  sense  of  glory  on 
man's  part,  or  through  his  reckless  destruction  of  other  than 
human  life.  It  is  also  to  be  regretted  that  so  many  birds  are 
shot,  before  laying  their  eggs,  owing  to  the  condition  of  their 
plumage  and  their  abundance,  during  or  immediately  after 
their  spring  migrations.  Nature's  resources  should  be  drawn 
upon  only  in  cases  of  necessity,  or  in  contribution  to  the  ad- 
vancement of  mankind.  Violation  of  nature,  as  of  the  natural 


» See  farther  §  13, 1,  D  and  E,  for  the  very  slight  distinction  between  the  War- 
bling and  Philadelphia  Vireo. 


4  INTRODUCTION. 

laws,  must  entail  misery,  and  finally  cause  us  bitterly  to  regret 
our  present  thoughtlessness  and  inhumanity ;  errors  which 
will  probably  continue  until  stricter  and  efficient  laws,  con- 
sequently more  general  and  simple  laws  are  passed." 

The  above  remarks  may  need  modification,  but  they  express 
a  spirit  worthy  of  serious  reflection. 

§  B.4  In  forming  a  collection  of  eggs  the  chief  requisites 
are :  — 

(1)  Boxes  of  various  size.     Those  of  a  cylindrical  shape 
and  made  of  tin  are  the  best,  as  they  take  up  least  room  in  the 
pocket,  and  are  easily  slipped  in  and  out.    A  box,  which  can- 
not be  carried  in  the  pocket,  is  comparatively  worthless. 

(2)  A  supply  of  cotton-wool,  a  cheap  material  and  the  most 
satisfactory  for  packing  on  account  of  its  elasticity. 

(3)  A  cabinet. 

(4)  A  knife  to  cut  small  branches  or  the  like. 

To  these  may  be  added  climbing-irons,  egg-drills,  blow-pipes, 
etc.,  though  not  absolutely  necessary. 

§  C.  In  winter,  or  as  spring  approaches,  study  the  descrip- 
tions of  various  birds,  nests,  eggs,  and  the  nature  of  the  local- 
ities as  well  as  the  position  in  which  the  latter  are  usually 
found.  Find  in.  advance  suitable  spots  for  the  search  of  any 
desired  nest,  especially  if  you  do  not  live  in  the  country. 

§  D.  If  in  your  rambles  you  should  see  a  nest  (not  an  old 
one),  approach  it  carefully  to  see  the  bird  ;  this  being  generally 
indispensable,  as  eggs  are  often  to  be  identified  through  the  par- 
ent only.  If  the  female,  who  usually  sits  upon  the  nest  much 

*  The  following  remarks  are  addressed  to  the  inexperienced  only. 


INTRODUCTION.  5 

oftener  than  the  male,  flies  too  soon,  retire  and  return  in  a  few- 
minutes.  Adopt  the  same  plan  for  a  bird,  whom  you  have 
flushed  from  the  ground,  and  do  not  at  once  recognize.  If  you 
fail  to  find  the  nest  (granted  that  there  be  one  there,  and  that 
the  bird  was'  not  merely  feeding5),  on  returning,  note  the  exact 
spot  from  which  she  rises.  If  you  think  to  recognize  her, 
make  yourself  positive  of  facts.  If  not,  note  with  the  utmost 
accuracy  her  size,  markings,  and  the  shape  of  the  bill,  and 
identify  her  as  soon  as  possible.6  To  determine  her  size,  re- 
member that  the  Humming  bird  is  about  3£  inches  long,  the 
Song  Sparrow  or  Snow-bird  6  or  more,  the  Robin  about  9£,  and 
the  Crow  nearly  20.  Also  observe  the  comparative  length  of 
her  tail. 

§  E.  If  you  have  an  opportunity,  study  the  works  of  Wilson 
and  Audubon.  The  former's  figures  are  very  life-like,  and 
their  coloring  generally  true,  though  often  too  high-toned  or 
otherwise  incorrect.  It  is  still  more  worth  your  while  to 
examine  the  collection  of  the  Boston  Society  of  Natural  His- 
tory.7 If  this  is  inaccessible  to  you,  another  is  probably  more 
worthy  of  your  attention  than  descriptions,  or  even  accurate 
paintings. 

§  F.  A  nest  containing  sound  eggs,  but  without  the  parent- 
birds,  generally  indicates  that  all  the  eggs  have  not  been  laid, 
or  that  the  parents  are  temporarily  absent.  Should  you  find 

»  Many  birds,  when  frightened  from  their  nests  on  the  ground,  feign  lameness  or 
the  like. 

6  Shooting  the  parents  when  collecting  for  yourself  is  optional.     See  quoted 
remarks  in  §  A. 

7  The  building  of  this  Society  is  on  Berkeley  street  (near  Boylston)  in  Boston. 
It  is  at  present  open  to  the  public  on  Wednesdays  and  Saturdays  from  10  A.  M.  to 
5  p.  M.    The  birds  of  New  England  are  not  separated  from  those  belonging  to  other 
parts  of  the  world. 


0  INTRODUCTION. 

an  incomplete  nest,  you  must  judge  for  yourself  how  soon  it 
will  be  finished.  A  pair  of  our  smaller  birds,  in  the  latter  part 
of  May  or  in  June,  ordinarily  spend  from  five  to  ten  days  in 
building  one,  and  sometimes  end  their  work  sufficiently  in  ad- 
vance to  allow  the  female  vacation  for  a  clay  or  even  two. 
Earlier  in  the  season,  other  birds  are  generally  occupied  two  or 
three  weeks.  Woodpeckers  are  very  uncertain  in  this  respect, 
and  it  is  often  difficult  to  decide  when  their  nests  should  be 
broken  into  to  obtain  the  eggs,  unless  one  can  watch  them 
closely  at  their  work  (carried  on  chiefly  in  the  morning)  and 
observe  the  final  cessation  of  chips.  The  creepers,  nuthatches, 
Chickadees,  and  certain  wrens  customarily  la}'  their  eggs  in  de- 
serted woodpeckers'  holes  or  other  cavities,  which  they  line 
with  warm  materials,  though  the  Chickadees  occasionally  exca- 
vate for  themselves  with  great  and  long-continued  labor. 

After  the  first  egg  has  been  laid,  one  is  generally  added  on 
each  succeeding  day  (apparently  most  often  in  the  morning) 
until  the  complement  is  made,8  before  which  time  the  nest 
should  not  be  visited,  except  in  cases  of  necessity.  Most 
birds  lay  four  or  five  eggs  (occasionally  three  or  six)  in  a  set, 
commonly  fewer  in  that  of  a  second  brood  than  before.  Many 
wrens,  titmice,  and  kingfishers  often  lay  more  ;  the  former  even 
ten,  or  very  rarely  twelve.  Gallinaceous  birds  are  also  prolific, 
and  two  or  three  hen-birds  are  said  sometimes  to  lay  in  the 
same  nest.  Humming-birds,  eagles,  and  pigeons,  usually  lay 
two  eggs  in  a  set,  as  do  also  old  birds  of  other  species,  partic- 
ularly among  the  hawks  and  owls.  Many  sea-birds  have  only 
one.  If  a  nest  be  found  with  the  same  number  of  eggs  for  two 


8  To  this  law  the  chief  exceptions  are  the  birds  of  prey,  and  the  cuckoos,  but 
among  the  smaller  land-birds  the  average  rate  of  laying  is  one  a  day.  Thus  among 
different  species  the  time  for  laying  four  eggs  varies  from  three  to  even  seven  days, 
generally  being  four. 


INTRODUCTION.  7 

or  three  days,  the  proper  inference  generally  is  that  no  more 
will  be  laid.  If  the  egg  of  a  Cow-bird  (§  17,  III)  be  discov- 
ered, it  should  be  taken  home,  or  destroyed  (at  a  distance  from 
the  nest),  unless  observations  are  to  be  made  upon  the  young 
when  hatched. 

§  G.  A  method  of  finding  nests,  which  may  often  be  prac- 
tised with  success,  is  that  of  "tracking"  birds,  when  seen 
with  food  for  their  mates  or  material  for  building.  It  is  gen- 
erally a  wearisome  and  patience-exhausting  process,  and  fre- 
quently causes  disappointment.  It  may  often  be  facilitated  by 
the  scattering  of  feathers,  horse-hairs,  string,  cotton- wool, 
straw,  etc.,  in  places  where  they  will  attract  the  attention  of 
the  architects,  in  whose  work  you  are  interested.  The  nests  of 
woodpeckers  may  often  be  found,  by  tracing  to  their  source 
the  loud'  rapping  of  the  builders,  or  by  observing  on  the 
ground  the  chips,  which  are  usually  fresh  (unless,  as  is  rarely 
the  case,  the  excavation  be  made  in  an  unsound  tree). 

§  H.  When  you  take  eggs,  pack  them  at  once,  bearing  in 
mind  that  the  smaller  ones  are  very  delicate,  and  even  the 
larger  ones  easily  broken.9  If  they  are  of  the  former  class, 
having  taken  from  the  box  most  of  the  cotton-wool,  leave  a 
layer  on  the  bottom,  in  which  make  a  slight  depression  with 
the  finger,  and  lay  the  first  egg.  The  following  rules  should 
be  observed  : — (1)  An  egg  must  not  come  in  contact  with  an- 
other, with  the  bottom,  sides,  or  cover  of  the  box.  (2)  The 
cotton-wool  must  be  tightly  packed.  To  pack  it  loosely  is  a 


°  Muc.h  danger  will  be  obviated  by  blowing  the  eggs  first,  when  practicable. 
If  fresh  eggs  are  allowed  to  grow  cold,  or  to  remain  long  unblown  the  contents  are 
less  easily  removed.  The  reverse  is  said  to  be  the  case,  when  eggs  containing  em- 
bryos are  left  unblown  for  two  or  even  three  days.  See  §  I  and  note. 


8  INTRODUCTION. 

mistake  frequently  made,  and  attended  by  consequent  acci- 
dents. (With  larger  eggs  less  care  is  required,  and  those  of 
hawks  or  owls  may  often  be  carried  safety  in  a  handkerchief.) 
When  all  the  eggs  have  been  safely  stowed  away,  the  box 
should  be  put  in  the  pocket  in  such  a  way  that  they  shall  not 
be  violently  jarred,  when  a  fence  is  clambered  over,  or  the 
body  otherwise  ungently  moved.  A  small  nest,  if  either  rare 
or  curious,  should  be  taken  with  any  small  branches,  to  which 
it  may  be  attached,  and  brought  home  in  a  suitable  box  or 
basket,  and  not  squeezed  in  the  hand  or  pocket ;  a  bulky  one 
may  be  safely  carried  in  the  hands.  A  nest  on  the  ground 
must  be  taken  up  with  peculiar  care,  as  it  may  otherwise  fall 
apart,  and  should  afterwards,  if  necessary,  be  stitched  to- 
gether. Nests,  to  be  properly  preserved,  must  be  placed  in 
some  receptacle,  where  they  will  be  free  from  dust,  and,  if 
composed  of  woolly  materials  or  of  feathers,  constantly  sup- 
plied with  benzine  or  crystallized  camphor,  to  prevent  the 
ravages  of  moths. 

Eggs,  to  be  sent  by  mail  or  express,  should  not  be  packed 
so  tightly  as  for  ordinary  transportation,  and  may  be  first  sur- 
rounded by  tissue-paper.  "  Single  eggs,"  says  Dr.  Coues, 
"  may  be  safely  mailed  to  any  distance  in  auger-holes  bored  in 
wood."  Boxes  may  be  seait  by  mail  at  a  trifling  cost,  when 
not  sealed.  Tin  boxes,  such  as  are  used  for  tobacco,  with 
tightly  fitting  covers,  are  the  best. 

§  I.  -On  reaching  home,  the  eggs  must  not  be  left  in  places 
where  the}1"  are  likely  to  be  broken  or  lost,  but  at  once  blown 
and  placed  in  your  cabinet.  The  following  are  directions  for 
blowing  an  egg  in  the  old-fashioned  way,  which  possesses  two 
or  three  advantages  over  the  modern  process  (among  others, 


INTRODUCTION.  9 

that  of  not  requiring  expense,  to  many  persons  an  important 
consideration)  : — 

Holding  the  egg  lightly  between  the  thumb  and  forefinger  of 
the  left  hand,  with  a  sharp  pin  in  the  right  hand,  make  a 
small  hole  at  or  near  the  smaller  end,  and  at  the  greater,  or  on 
the  same  side,  a  large  one  in  accordance  with  the  size  of  the 
egg,  which  is  next  placed  between  the  thumb  and  forefinger  of 
the  right  hand.  Then  place  your  mouth  at  the  smaller  hole  and 
breathe  out  gently  but  steadily,  and  the  contents,  if  fresh,  run 
out  at  the  other.  Be  sure  that  none  are  left,  and  even  remove, 
if  possible,  the  lining  of  the  shell,  though  no  risk  should  be 
run  of  breaking  the  latter.  When  any  difficulty  occurs,  shake 
the  egg,  or  give  a  quick  puff  if  safe  to  do  so ;  otherwise,  inject 
a  little  water  from  the  mouth.  In  certain  cases,  shaking  is 
even  preferable  to  blowing.  During  the  process  of  incubation, 
the  contents  of  an  egg  thicken,  and  the  young  is  gradually 
formed,  until  the  blowing  finally  becomes  impossible.  When 
the  egg  is  not  fresh,  enlarge  the  larger  hole  (but  never  the 
other),  and  blow  persistently  and  patiently,  taking  care  that 
the  yolk  or  young  does  not,  by  suddenly  slipping  out,  allow 
the  egg  to  collapse  between  your  fingers,  or  break  it  by  being 
forced  through  too  narrow  an  exit.  If  the  contents  are  too 
thick  to  blow  easily,  they  should  be  carefully  cut  off  with  small 
scissors,  whenever  protruding  beyond  the  shell.  If  it  is  im- 
possible to  blow  the  egg,  enlarge  the  holes  so  as  to  allow  the 
gas  to  escape  freely,  but  surround  them  with  camphor-gum  or 
the  like,  as  otherwise  the  odor  is  extremely  disgusting  and  the 
egg,  after  losing  its  original  colors,  gradually  drops  to  pieces. 
I  have  seen  eggs  successfully  preserved  in  this  manner,  decom- 
position being  quickened  by  the  occasional  injection  of  water. 

The   modern   and   very  general   manner  of  blowing  eggs 


10  INTRODUCTION. 

necessitates  the  use  of  several  instruments  ;  the  blow-pipe  and 
egg-drill,10  which  are  the  most  important,  the  syringe,  forceps, 
dissecting-scissors,  etc.  To  follow  this  method,  drill  with  a 
light  twirling  motion  a  small  hole  on  one  side  of  the  egg,  re- 
move from  the  opening  the  inner  membrane,  which  often  (as  in 
the  larger  of  two  holes)  interferes  with  further  action,  and  in- 
sert the  blow-pipe.  Then  breathe  gently,  not  forcibly,  and 
the  contents,  if  fresh,  will  flow  out  about  the  pipe,  but,  if  not, 
a  little  water  should  be  injected,  and  the  egg  gently  shaken. 
Should  there  be  further  difficulty,  inject  warm  water,  put  the 
egg  in  a  dark,  warm  place,  with  the  hole  turned  upward,  and 
at  the  end  of  a  few  hours,  after  shaking  it,  remove  as  much  as 
possible  of  the  yolk,  etc.,  which  must  finally  be  altogether  dis- 
posed of,  particularly  in  the  case  of  white  eggs.  Then  inject 
more  water,  and  again  leave  it.'  Young  may  be  cut  up  by 
slender  scissors,  having  delicate  blades  at  an  angle  with  their 
handles,  and  removed  by  a  fine  wire,  slightly  hooked,  or  by 
small  forceps.  Fresh  eggs,  if  not  too  large,  may  be  "blown" 
or  rather  sucked  by  means  of  a  suction-tube  with  a  bulb. 
Specimens,  when  thoroughly  rinsed  and  ready  for  the  cabinet, 
should  be  placed  on  blotting  paper  to  dry  (with  the  opening 
turned  downward),  where  not  exposed  to  a  strong  light.  Car- 
bonate of  soda  is  said  to  render  a  hardened  yolk  soluble  in 
water,  but  it  must  not  come  in  contact  with  the  outer  shell. 
There  are  various  other  details,  too  numerous  to  mention, 
connected  with  the  blowing  of  eggs  by  instruments,  such  as 
gumming  a  series  of  very  thin  paper-wafers  about  an  opening 
made  in  a  delicate  shell,  such  as  that  of  a  very  small  specimen, 
of  one  cracked,  or  of  one  nearly  hatched.11 

10  These  may  be  obtained  at  the  Naturalist's  Agency,  Salem,  Mass.    The  present 
address  is  Mr.  S.  E.  Cassino. 

11  Several  ideas  expressed  in  the  preceding  paragraph,  have  been  borrowed 
from  various  articles  on  this  same  subject. 


INTRODUCTION.  11 

NOTE. —  Take  care  in  making  a  hole  not  to  injure  any  mark- 
ings ;  and,  when  blowing,  place  beneath  a  pail  or  basin  contain- 
ing a  few  inches  of  water  to  catch  the  egg,  should  it  slip.  An 
egg  when  full  is  very  easily  broken,  but  when  blown  may  often 
be  dropped  without  injury  on  to  a  carpet  or  the  like.  One  with 
the  contents  entirely  removed  floats  in  water  with  only  about  a 
third  or  less  of  the  shell  beneath  the  level  of  the  surface.  A 
thin-shelled  egg  may  be  held  to  the  light  to  ensure  emptiness. 

§  J.  Eggs  may  be  cleaned  with  a  soft,  wet  rag,  dipped  in 
tooth-powder,  or  by  the  careful  use  of  an  ink-eraser  (with  a 
flat,  pointed,  steel  blade),  though  the  latter  may  injure  the 
surface.  Certain  eggs  (but  none  of  those  described  in  this 
volume)  are  calcareous,  and  their  chalky  shells  cannot  be  safely 
cleaned.  Others,  however,  have  a  certain  u  bloom,"  like  that 
of  a  grape,  which  can  be  washed  off. 

To  mend  an  egg,  if  broken  into  bits  of  manageable  size, 
take  one  a  little  smaller  and  of  no  value,  wet  it,  or  coat  it 
with  a  very  delicate  varnish,  and  place  on  it  the  bits  of  shell 
in  their  proper  positions,  so  that  they  shall  fit  together.  For 
large  eggs,  a  mould  of  putty,  if  carefully  shaped,  may  be  used 
instead.  Cracks  may  be  brushed  with  collodion.  The  common 
method  of  glueing  bits  together  with  mucilage  and  thin  paper 
is  often  clumsy  or  dangerous,  and,  even  if  successful,  generally 
ruins  the  fair  appearance  of  any  specimen. 

§  K.  Place  your  eggs,  when  blown,  promptly  in  your 
cabinet,  and  have  some  means  of  identifying  them  afterwards. 
Labels  should  be  altogether  avoided,  as  they  greatly  mar  the 
beauty  of  a  collection,  and  any  writing  on  the  shell  should  be 
condensed  and  placed  on  the  under  side,  where  it  will  be  in- 


12  INTRODUCTION. 

conspicuous  (or  near  the  "  drill-hole,"  if  there  be  one).  There 
are  various  methods  of  marking,  but  whichever  be  followed 
should  be  uniformly  observed.  Perhaps  the  best  is  to  write12 
on  each  egg  a  number  of  the  Smithsonian  or  Dr.  Cones'  Check- 
list (followed  by  S.  or  C.  to  indicate  which)  ;  for  instance  on  a 
Wood  Thrush's  egg  either  148  S.  or  3  C.  To  this  may  b.e 
added  another  number,  referring  to  your  note-book,  which 
should  be  a  blank-book,  with  long  but  wide  pages  ruled  by 
lines  forming  several  columns  of  suitable  width.  In  these 
columns  (with  proper  headings)  should  be  written  first  the 
number  of  reference,  and  then  the  name  of  the  bird,  its 
number  on  the  check -lists ;  the  number  of  eggs  originally  in 
the  nest,  by  whom  collected  or  from  whom  obtained,  the  place 
and  date  of  collection  ;  also,  when  desirable,  remarks  as  to  the 
size,  incubation,  or  peculiarities  of  the  eggs,  the  position  and 
structure  of  the  nest.  It  is  often  well  to  avoid  mention  of  the 
place  where  the  eggs  of  hawks,  herons,  etc.,  were  found,  as 
these  birds  frequently  build  conspicuous  nests  in  restricted 
localities,  to  which,  if  not  too  much  disturbed,  they  return 
year  after  year.  Secrecy  is  often  as  desirable  for  an  ornitholo- 
gist as  for  a  sportsman.  Eggs  should  be  arranged  in  the  proper 
sequence  of  families,  etc.,  and  those  of  each  species  should  be 
kept  distinct  from  others.  All  of  one  kind  may  be  grouped 
together,  or  duplicates  may  be  separated  from  better  and 
representative  specimens. 

§  L.     A   cabinet  may  be   strictly  a  cabinet,  consisting  of 
pigeon-holes  or  shelves,  and  screwed  to  the  wall,  or  a  box,  a 


12  Purple  ink  will  be  foirad  to  flow  more  freely  than  ordinary  black  ink.  Fig- 
ures should  be  fine  and  made  with  care.  They  may  be  written  on  a  bit  of  paper 
gummed  over  the  u  drill-hole,"  though  it  is  better  to  write  on  the  shell  itself,  unless 
too  delicate,  or  unless  the  egg  be  very  small. 


INTRODUCTION.  13 

long  and  rather  flat  one  being  the  best,  or  a  chest  of  drawers, 
which  is  the  most  convenient.  The  latter  may  be  fitted  with  a 
series  of  small,  shallow  trays,  made  of  paper  or  paste-board, 
though  these  diminish  the  attractiveness  of  a  collection,  and 
are  more  or  less  dangerous.  I  have  found  a  rather  deep  layer 
of  fine  sea-sand,  such  as  may  be  obtained  at  almost  every 
grocer's  store,  much  more  satisfactory,  since  it  forms  a  pleasing 
background  for  the  eggs,  which  can  be  fixed  in  it  firmly,  and 
is  always  exempt  from  moths  or  other  insects :  fine  saw-dust 
is  the  best  substitute. 

All  cabinets  should  be  dark  when  closed,  as  many  eggs  fade 
when  exposed  to  the  light,  particularly  those  which  are  blue  or 
green. 

§  M.  Having  now  followed  the  eggs  from  the  time  when  the 
mother  was  scared  from  her  nest,  until  they  were  placed  in  a 
cabinet,  I  shall  return  to  speak  of  the  difficulty  in  frightening 
certain  birds  when  incubating,  chiefly  the  hawks.  Individuals, 
rather  than  species,  vary  in  this  respect,  though  the  smaller  are 
undoubtedly  more  often  timid  than  others.  One  hawk  glides 
silently  from  her  nest  as  you  approach  ;  another  flies  when  you 
rap  the  tree  energetically  with  a  stick  ;  whereas  a  third  remains 
until  the  crackling  of  branches,  as  you  ascend,  causes  her  to 
seek  safety  in  flight.  Hawks,  moreover,  are  often  obliged  to 
leave  the  nest,  after  the  eggs  are  laid,  if  their  mates  either  die 
or  fail  to  supply  them  with  sufficient  food.  As  about  ninety 
per  cent,  or  more  of  the  nests  found  in  a  large  "hawkery"  are 
old,  except  a  few  nests  belonging  to  crows  and  squirrels,  and 
as  hawks  and  owls,  moreover,  often  inhabit  such,  not  always 
rebuilding  them,  one  naturally  is  doubtful  about  climbing  far, 
on  finding  a  large  nest  of  sticks,  which  is  likely  to  contain 


14  INTRODUCTION. 

eggs  only  once  out  of  ten  times.  A  hawk  cannot  often  be 
seen  when  sitting  on  her  nest,  and  the  only  signs,  which  rarely 
deceive,  are  the  small  feathers,  which  usually  cling  to  the 
nest,  or  to  a  branch  near  it.  Dead  leaves  inside  of  a  nest  indi- 
cate further  emptiness,  or  occupation  by  squirrels,  who  usually, 
in  building,  heap  together  hay,  straw,  and  pine-needles,  or  the 
like.  In  the  absence  of  all  the  above-mentioned  signs,  judg- 
ment is  required,  but  no  further  rules  can  be  safely  laid  down. 
It  may  be  remarked  that  smaller  birds  are  also  often  brave  or 
even  bold  in  protecting  their  nests. 

In  climbing,  never  leave  one  hold  before  testing  and  secur- 
ing another ;  remember  that  pine-limbs  are  less  to  be  trusted 
than  those  of  hard-wood  trees ;  place  your  feet,  if  possible, 
next  to  the  trunk,  and,  if  inclined  to  dizziness,  do  not  look 
down.  Gloves,  old  clothes,  a  soft  hat  (and  climbing-irons, 
when  convenient)  form  the  necessary  outfit,  as  large  eggs  may 
be  safely  brought  down  in  a  cloth  cap,  grasped  firmly  by  the 
teeth.  Never  take  one  egg  from  a  set  in  a  hawk's  nest,  if  yon 
wish  for  the  rest,  as  these  latter  will  often  disappear  myster- 
iously before  your  return.  None  of  the  hawks  (i.e.  Falconidce) , 
with  the  exception  of  the  Ospreys  and  eagles,  show  a  disposi- 
tion to  attack.  These  latter  have  been  known  to  inflict  dan- 
gerous wounds,  and  at  the  same  time  are,  I  believe,  the  only 
species  generally  occupying  the  same  nest  year  after  year,  with 
the  exception  of  the  Duck  Hawk  ( ?)  and  Sparrow  Hawk.  I 
do  not  recall  many  other  birds  who  do  so,  with  the  marked  ex- 
ception of  the  swallows  and  Pewees,  who  sometimes  rebuild 
their  old  homes. 

§  N.  All  birds  have  an  affection  for  some  haunt,  whither,  if 
left  undisturbed,  they  return  every  spring.  These  .haunts  are 


INTRODUCTION.  15 

often  extensive,  enabling  them  to  change  their  residence  annu- 
ally, until  they  are  finally  driven  away.  Cat-birds  frequently 
return  every  year  to  the  same  thicket,  and  I  have  known  the 
Red-eyed  Vireo  to  build  his  nest  in  the  same  tree  where  it  was 
built  and  robbed  the  year  before.  Likewise  Pewees  very  often 
choqse  successively  two  or  three  building-sites  very  close  to 
one  another.  The  less  familiar  species  are  not  so  attached  to 
particular  spots,  but  generally  build  their  nests  each  summer 
in  the  same  tract  of  land  (a  tree-warbler  in  the  same  woods, 
etc.).  Hawks  (and  occasionally  even  crows)  become  attached 
to  a  certain  grove  or  pine-wood,  and  build  near  the  same 
place  several  years  in  succession,  sometimes  though  repeatedly 
robbed.  Woodpeckers  (who  always  lay  their  eggs  in  holes) 
do  not  usually,  so  far  as  my  observations  have  extended, 
occupy  the  same  holes  twice,  but  leave  them  to  be  used  by 
Chickadees,  or  other  birds.  Feelings  of  attachment  are  much 
stronger  in  some  species  than  in  others,  being  often  nearly  ex- 
tinct. They  are  more  marked  in  civilized  districts,  where 
there  is  less  range  of  country  than  in  other  parts  of  the  State. 
Many  birds  forsake  their  haunts,  if  disturbed,  but  apparently 
return  sometimes  after  a  long  absence.  The  evidence  of 
identical  birds  returning  to  the  same  spot  is  very  strong,  par- 
ticularly in  the  case  of  individuals  peculiarly  marked. 

§  O.  There  are  not  many  birds,  who,  in  a  temperate  climate, 
do  not  habitually  raise  a  second  brood  ;  and  there  are  probably 
very  few,  who  do  not  do  so,  if  the  first  is  broken  up  or  de- 
stroyed. They  rarely  raise  the  second  in  the  same  nest  as  the 
first,  but  generally  build  another  (often  hurriedly)  near  the 
site  of  the  former,  particularly  if  that  has  been  disturbed  or 
removed.  The  principal  exceptions  to  this  latter  statement 


16  INTRODUCTION. 

are  the  Pewees,  swallows,  and  those  birds  who  lay  their  eggs 
in  holes.  The  second  set  of  eggs  usually  appears  from  four  to 
six  weeks  after  the  first,  if  that  has  not  met  with  serious  mis- 
haps ;  otherwise,  sooner.  If  a  hawk's  nest  be  robbed,1?  the 
parents  commonly  repair  an  old  nest  near  by,  often  hastily 
lining  it  with  evergreen  or  the  like,  and  at  the  end  of  about 
a  fortnight  two  or  three  eggs  are  laid.  The  Sharp-shinned 
Hawks,  Kingfishers,  Golden-winged  Woodpeckers,  and  very 
probably  other  species,  are  said  to  continue  sometimes  for  several 
da}*s  to  lay  eggs  almost  daily,  after  the  first  sets  have  been 
taken,  though  continually  robbed.  Smaller  birds  have  been 
known  to  build  a  second,  and  even  a  third  nest,  within  a  few 
feet  of  the  previous  ones,  when  these  were  removed. 

They  have  also  been  known  to  cover  the  eggs  of  a  Cow-bird, 
by  building  a  second  story,  or  even  a  third,  which  became 
their  own  nursery.  Such  cases  are,  however,  exceptional,  and 
lead  me  to  speak  of  desertion. 

§  P.  Birds  differ  widely  in  respect  to  desertion,  the  wood- 
peckers, especially  the  Golden-winged,  being  in  case  of  disturb- 
ance uncertain  in  their -movements.  The  latter  often  leave 
forever  the  excavation,  on  which  they  are  at  work,  if  they 
imagine  that  they  are  watched,  though  occasionally  regardless 
of  those  passing  by.  If  their  eggs  be  disturbed,  they  some- 
times "  desert,"  and  at  other  times  the  female  continues  to  lay 
eggs  in  the  manner  already  described.  She  often  deepens  her 
nest,  and  lays  a  second  '  set.  A  general  rule  is  that  birds  will 
not  desert  their  nests  (if  not  injured)  when  one  egg  is  taken 
from  three  or  four,  two  from  five  or  six,  and  three  from  more 
than  six.  Never  handle  a  nest  or  eggs,  not  to  be  at  once 

I8  Unless  that  of  a  Marsh  (or  Sparrow  ?)  Hawk. 


INTRODUCTION.  17 

taken ;  the  bird  does  not  perceive  your  "  touch,"  as  many 
persons  suppose,  but  one's  hand  very  often  so  disturbs  the 
nest,  and  the  exact  position  of  the  eggs,  that  the  intrusion  be- 
comes very  marked.  As  a  rule,  a  nest  should  never  be  visited 
from  the  time  of  its  discovery  until  all  the  eggs  are  laid,  and 
an  egg  should  never  be  taken  except  from  a  complete  set. 

§  Q.  Should  you  find  a  nest  of  value,  when  you  have  not  a 
box,  mark  the  spot  by  observing  some  conspicuous  landmark, 
unless  it  be  necessary  to  take  the  nest  at  once.  Otherwise, 
carry  large  eggs,  and  those  taken  from  a  hole  or  a  frail  nest, 
wrapped  in  a  handkerchief,  and  carry  small  eggs  in  their  nests, 
placed  upright,  with  a  handkerchief  tied  tightly  over  the  whole. 
Packing  in  either  case  is  desirable,  soft,  clean  moss  being 
generally  the  best  material  to  be  found  in  the  woods. 

When  a  hole  is  enlarged  with  a  hatchet  or  knife  in  order  to 
reach  any  eggs,  the  parent  almost  invariably  "  deserts,"  and  it 
is  therefore  necessary  to  break  it  open  at  the  proper  time,  since 
all  or  no  eggs  should  be  taken  from  such  a  nest.  In  at  least 
one  of  the  cases  before  cited,  relating  to  the  Pigeon  Wood- 
peckers, the  hole  was  large  enough  to  allow  the  insertion  of 
the  hand  and  fore-arm.  This  species,  however,  as  has  already 
been  remarked,  frequently  deepens  the  hole  to  lay  again ;  so 
do  other  woodpeckers. 

§  R.  Health,  energetic  perseverance,  honesty,  experience, 
and  moderation,  are  the  necessary  qualities  or  cardinal  virtues 
of  a  wise  and  successful  collector.  It  is  for  young  oologists 
an  excellent  rule,  which  has,  however,  many  exceptions,  never 
to  take  more  than  one  egg  from  a  nest,  nor  to  have  more 
than  two  or  three  of  one  species,  except  when  (very)  rare, 
peculiarly  marked,  or  suitable  for  an  advantageous  exchange. 


18  INTRODUCTION. 

If  inexperienced,  do  not  make  exchanges  with  another  inex- 
perienced person,  who  may  unintentionally  cheat  you,  or  with 
one  unknown  to  you,  who  may  purposely  cheat  you.  Remember 
that  eggs  often  vary  greatly  in  value  in  different  parts  of  the 
country,  .and  do  not  accept  any  price-list  as  a  basis  for  ex- 
change. Endeavor  $y  energy  to  arrive  at  approximate  comple- 
tion, have  some  definite  object  in  view,  such  as  a  cabinet 
comprising  all  the  eggs  of  Massachusetts,  and  do  not  unwisely 
form  a  miscellaneous  collection  everywhere  incomplete. 

§  S.  To  know  the  notes  of  all  our  bisds  is  a  great  assistance 
in  finding  their  nests,  and  in  finding,  distinguishing,  or  study- 
ing the  birds  themselves,  who  sing  chiefly  on  or  soon  after 
their  arrival  from  the  South,  during  their  migrations,  and  the 
mating-season  in  spring,  or  early  summer.  It  is  best  to  study 
their  music  at  sunrise,  or  in  the  early  morning  (particularly  in 
the  case  of  species  migrating),  and  also  at  evening.  Even 
families  may  (to  a  limited  extent)  be  classified  by  their  notes. 
To  study  birds,  in  relation  to  their  habits  or  notes,  walk  in  their 
haunts,  continually  pausing  to  catch  the  slightest  sound,  which, 
if  not  recognized,  should  be  traced  to  its  source,  or  to  allow 
the  birds  to  gather  about  or  approach  you.  If  necessary, 
follow  them  silently  and  persistently,  but  remember  that 
stealthiness  sometimes  alarms  them  more  than  an  open 
approach.  If  several  species  be  together,  do  not  be  misled  by 
the  confusion  of  their  songs,  and  do  not  hastily  attribute  the 
note  of  one  kind  to  another  bird  immediately  near.  Both 
squirrels  and  "chipmonks"  frequently  produce  notes,  which 
might  excusably  distract  the  attention  of  an  unpractised  orni- 
thologist. By  looking  up,  especially  on  very  clear  days,  you 
may  often  see  hawks,  or  other  birds,  flying  over  silently. 


INTRODUCTION.  19 

An  opera-glass,  if  a  sufficiently  strong  magnifier,  or  occasion- 
ally a  telescope,  will  be  found  very  useful,  as  it  enables  one  to 
recognize  a  bird  without  disturbing  it,  and  to  distinguish  colors, 
when  the  object  is  distant,  or  at  a  great  height  among  branches. 
It  is  more  difficult  to  distinguish  colors  just  before  or  after 
sunset  than  at  other  times  of  the  day,  particularly  if  they  be  ex- 
posed to  the  sunlight.  That  hour  should  therefore  be  avoided. 


§  T.  Of  anatomy  and  details  of  structure  I  shall  not  here 
speak  at  length,  since  they  are  not  referred  to  in  this  volume 
more  often  than  convenience  requires.14  The  bill  consists  of 
two  mandibles,  the  line  between  which  is  called  the  gape  or 
often  the  commissure.  The  true  cere,  which  belongs  only  to 
the  parrots  and  birds  of  prey,  is  a  thick  skin  which  covers  the 
upper  mandible  at  its  base,  and  in  which  are  the  nostrils, 
though  often  concealed  by  feathers. 

The  principal  wing-feathers  are  the  primaries,  which  (with 
perhaps  exceptions)  are  always  nine  or  ten,  except  in  flight- 
less birds,  and  which  form  the  end  or  "point"  of  the  wing. 
They  are  the  long  outer  feathers,  of  which  the  shafts  (if  the 
wing  be  spread)  are  more  or  less  parallel,  forming  an  evi- 
dent angle  with  those  of  the  adjoining  secondaries.  A  so- 
called  "spurious"  primary  is  usually  the  first  or  outermost, 
when  very  much  shorter  than  the  rest.  (It  differs  from  the 
"  bastard  wing"  or  "  spurious  quills  "  in  being  a  single  feather 
and  beneath  the  second  primary.)  The  "shoulder"  of  the 
wing  is  the  "  bend  "  near  its  connection  with  the  body.  The 
tail  is  even  or  square,  rounded  or  forked,  as  viewed  when 
half-closed  ;  if  slightly  forked,  emarginate,  if  very  deeply 


14  The  reader  is  referred  for  a  full  treatise  to  the  introduction  of  Dr.  Coues' 
'Key  to  N.  A.  Birds." 


20  INTRODUCTION. 

forked,  forficate.  A  cuneate  tail  is  the  exact  opposite  to  one 
forficate. 

The  tarsus,  often  called  the  "  leg,"  extends  from  the  base  of 
the  toes  to  the  first  joint  above,  and  in  a  majority  of  birds  is 
unfeathered.  If  without  scales  in  front  (unless  near  the  bot- 
tom) it  is  "  booted"  or  if  with  scales,  scutellate.  (If  covered 
with  very  small  scales  which  do  not  overlap  one  another,  it  is 
reticulate;  or  it  may  be  granulated  as  in  the  Fish  Hawk.) 

The  following  is  a  vocabulary  of  several  other  descriptive 
terms.  Auriculars  (or  ear-patch),  the  feathers  behind,  but  a 
little  below  the  level  of  the  eye.  Circumocular,  about  the  eye. 
Crown,  top  of  the  head  (usually  above  the  eye).  Eye-patch, 
a  tract  of  color  enclosing  the  e}7e.  Eye-stripe,  a  line  running 
through  the  eye  (so  to  speak).  Inter  scapulars,  feathers  on  the 
back  between  the  wing-shoulders,  or  between  the  head  and 
rump.  Iris,  (pi.  irides),  a  colored  circle  enclosing  the  pupil 
of  the  eye.  Lore,  the  feathers  about  the  base  of  the  bill,  or 
between  the  bill  and  the  eye.  Maxillary  line,  one  running 
backward  from  the  gape,  and  bordering  the  throat.  Median 
line,  one  dividing  the  crown.  Nape  (or  nuchal  patch),  the 
hind-head  (properly  above  the  cervix,  or  hind-neck).  Super- 
ciliary line,  a  stripe  immediately  above  the  eye.  Vermicula- 
tion,  very  fine  "  waves."  $  signifies  the  male,  $  the  female; 
=  signifies  "  equal  to,"  >  "  more  than,"  and  <  "  less  than." 
"Inch"  or  "inches"  is  abbreviated  to  in.,  and  decimal  num- 
bers (written  with  a  dot  before)  generally  indicate  hundredths 
of  an  inch. 

Except  where  there  are  indications  to  the  contrary,  the 
"upper  parts"  generally  include  the  upper  surface  of  the 
wings  and  tail,  though  the  "under  parts"  frequently  refer  to 
the  body  only.  The  "  crown"  includes  the  forehead  (or  even 


INTRODUCTION.  21 

the  nape).  The  urump"  (or  lower  back)  often  includes  the 
upper  tail-coverts,  the  "  belly "  the  under  tail-coverts,  etc. 
The  "  sides  "  invariably  refer  to  those  of  the  breast  and  belly. 

§U.  Measurements  of  both  birds  and  eggs  are  made  in 
straight  lines  between  two  points.  To  measure  the  length  of  a 
bird,  lay  it  on  its  back,  and  make  the  tip  of  the  bill  (so  far  as 
reasonable) ,  and  the  end  of  the  longest  tail-feather,  touch  the 
ruler  or  paper  on  which  they  are  laid  ;  then  measure  the  distance 
between  these  points.  Measure  (with  compasses)  the  tarsus 
in  front,  and  the  bill  from  the  tip  of  the  upper  mandible  to  the 
feathers  actually  or  apparently  belonging  to  the  forehead.15 
The  "depth"  of  a  bill  is  its  vertical  width  near  the  base,  when 
closed.  Eggs  may  be  measured  by  dividers,  or  by  a  ruler 
with  a  slide.  For  accurate  measurements  a  ruler  marked  deci- 
mally (or  even  with  hundredths)  is  best.  -^  of  an  inch  equals 
about  -06. 

§  V.  Birds  form  a  class  of  the  Animal  Kingdom.  They  are 
composed  of  three  (or  more?)  distinct  subclasses;  the  Aves 
Aerece,  Insessores,  or  typical  "perchers;"  the  Aves  Terrestres, 
Cursores,  or  gallinaceous  birds  and  "waders;"  and  the  Aves 
Aquaticce,  Natatores,  or  "swimmers."  These  are  grouped  into 
several  orders  (such  as  the  Raptores  or  "birds  of  prey"), 
which  are  divided  into  families  (as  the  Raptores  into  Strigi- 
dce,  Falconidce,  etc.,  or  the  hawks,  including  eagles,  the  owls, 
and  vultures).  The  orders  are  sometimes  more  primarily  di- 
vided into  suborders,  and  families  into  subfamilies.  Thus  the 
Passeres  consist  of  the  Oscines  or  singing  passerines,  and  the 


"  There  are  other  methods  of  making  this  measurement. 


22  INTRODUCTION. 

Clamatores  or  non-singers  ;16  likewise  the  Turdidce  consists  of 
the  Turdince,  or  typical  thrushes,  who  have  a  "booted"  tarsus, 
and  the  Mimince,  or  mocking-thrushes,  who  do  not  possess  this 
feature.  Combinations  of  less  important  distinctions  in  struct- 
ural detail  characterize  the  genera;  and  therefore  birds  be- 
longing to  the  same  genus  have  exactly  the  same  structure. 
The  difference  between  species  is  marked  by  coloration,  and 
often  size.  To  illustrate  the  foregoing,  take  as  a  subject  the 
common  Song  Sparrow.  He  belongs  to  the  Insessorian  group, 
the  order  of  Passeres,  and  the  suborder  Oscines.  His  family 
is  that  of  the  Fringillidce,  or  finches,  and  his  genus  Melospiza. 
His  specific  name  is  melodia,  but  there  is  also  a  variety,  M. 
fallax.  "  Extremely  similar ;  wings  and  tails  slightly  longer ; 
paler,  grayer;  the  streaks  not  so  obviously  blackish  in  the 
centre.  Whole  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  Great  Basin ; 
scarcely  distinguishable."  (Coues.) 

§  W.  The  classification  of  birds  (or  other  objects  in  nature) 
necessarily  entails  certain  absurdities,  being  more  or  less  artifi- 
cial. The  method  of  modern  classification  is  that  of  descend- 
ing from  the  higher  to  the  lower  groups,  but  sequence  is  too 
often  insisted  on  among  groups,  which  diverge  (so  to  speak) 
from  a  common  centre.  The  division  of  families,  genera,  etc., 
is  more  or  less  arbitrary,  a  certain  degree  of  difference  being 
necessary  to  separate  them,  whereas  minor  (or  fractional) 
differences  cause  intermediate  groups.  Let  X  represent  the 

vy 

degree  of  dissimilarity  between  two  genera;  then  ^  represents 
the  difference  between  two  subgenera  (of  the  same  genus)  ; 
1  +  IT  Between  subfamilies,  2  X  between  families,  2  +  •£  be- 

16  A  rather  technical  distinction. 


INTRODUCTION.  23 

tween  suborders,  and  3  X  between  orders.  Forms  in  nature 
are  everywhere  so  delicately  blended  that  theoretically  it  is 
almost  impossible  to  "  draw  any  lines."  A  species  (even 
though  exhibiting  much  individual  variation)  is  constituted  by 
all  those  birds,  who,  since  the  present  organization  of  birds 
has  existed,  might  be  the  descendants  of  a  single  pair. 

[The  phenomena  of  albinism  and  melanism  can  here  be  only 
briefly  referred  to.  In  the  latter,  which  is  very  rare,  birds  are 
abnormally  dark  or  black.  In  albinism,  which  is  not  uncom- 
mon, birds  are  partially  or  wholly  abnormally  white  (or  even 
yellow)  ;  sometimes  they  are  partly  bleached.  Such  condi- 
tions of  plumage  need  cause  confusion  only  among  birds  of 
the  same  genus,  and  rarely  then,  being  seldom  complete.] 
There  are  often  varieties,  geographical  races,  or  forms  rendered 
appreciably  distinct  by  the  effects  of  climate,  etc.  By  a  strict 
definition  of  the  term,  varieties  must  have  different  distribu- 
tions (at  least  during  the  breeding-season),  though  accidental 
stragglers  may  occur  far  from  their  usual  habitat.  A  specific 
type  is  usually  the  variety  first  named.  Hybrids,  or  "  crosses," 
are  the  joint  offspring  of  two  species,  but  they  do  not  often 
occur  among  birds  in  a  natural  state. 

A  bird's  scientific  name  consists  of  a  generic  (subgeneric)  and 
specific,  or  also  subspecific,  title,  e.  g.,  Turdus  (Hylocichla) 
Swainsoni,  Var.  Alicice,  or  simply  Turdus  Alicice.11  Family- 
names  end  in  idee,  those  of  subfamilies  in  ince.  Scientific 
names  are  usually  begun  with  a  capital,  are  italicized,  and, 
when  following  English  names,  put  in  parenthesis.  Specific 
names,  however,  are  ordinarily  spelt  without  a  capital,  unless 
derived  from  proper  names.  It  is  best  to  form  no  Latin 


"  Turdus  Alicice  is  often  ranked  as  a  species. 


24  INTRODUCTION. 

Genitives  in  u,  a  single  one  being  more  correct.  (See  Messrs. 
Allen  and  Greenough's  "  Latin  Grammar,"  Part  1,  §  10,  4,  b.) 
NOTE. —  Many  still  existing  scientific  names  are  unworthy 
of  retention,  but  they  have  not  been  altered  in  this  volume  on 
account  of  the  established  rule  of  priority,  which  necessitates, 
however,  many  incongruities.  The  authorities  for  these  names 
are  given  in  the  second  index.  Great  care  has  been  bestowed 
upon  the  orthography  of  English  names,  since  great  latitude 
exists  in  this  respect,  no  system  being  yet  established.  Certain 
rules  have  here  been  followed,  with  the  exceptions  produced  by 
general  or  the  best  usage. 


LAND-BIRDS  AND  GAME-BIRDS 


OP 


NEW  ENGLAND. 


Aves,  or  birds,  form  a  class  of  the  Animal  Kingdom,  and 
have,  in  their  classification,  been  primarily  divided  by  eminent 
ornithologists  into  three  subclasses  (lately  dispensed  with, 
however,  in  u  North  American  Birds")  :  Aves  Aerece  or  In- 
sessores  (aerial  birds  or  "  perchers"),  Aves  Terrestres  or  Cur- 
sores  (terrestrial  birds  or  u  runners"),  and  Aves  Aquaticce  or 
Natatores  (aquatic  birds  or  "  swimmers  ").  The  general  rule  of 
division  is  this :  hind-toe1  on  a  level  with  the  other  toes, 
4 'perchers"  ;  hind-toe  not  insistent1  and  feet  not  fully  webbed, 
"  runners  "  ;  hind-toe  elevated,1  but  feet  fully  webbed,  "  swim- 
mers." This  rule  is  applicable  only  to  typical  forms,  with 
which  other  forms  are  ranked  through  evident  affinity.  It  is 
to  be  remarked  that,  in  a  great  measure,  aesthetic  or  intuitive 
perception  is  the  best  means  of  determining  position.  By 
modern  classification  birds  are  arranged  on  the  descending 
method,  by  which  the  highest  and  most  refined  types  occupy 
the  highest  position.  Thus,  the  Cursores  include  those  birds 
who  scratch  for  their  food  (turkeys,  grouse,  etc.),  and  the  wad- 
ers (such  as  snipe,  plover,  herons,  rails,  etc.).  These  two 
suborders  (Gallince  and  Grallatores)  represent2  (in  the  ap- 
proximate proportion  of  one  to  four)  about  two- elevenths  of 


1  In  certain  cases  wanting,  or  apparently  wanting. 
8  In  number  of  species  (according  to  Cones'  list). 

(25) 


26  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

North  American  birds.  The  Natatores  include  various  sea- 
birds,  the  swans,  geese,  ducks,  terns,  gulls,  pelicafhs,  petrels, 
and  cormorants,  and  form  about  one-fourth  of  our  fauna.  The 
Insessores  include  all  the  typical  land-birds,  377  of  the  635 
North  American  species  admitted  in  Dr.  Coues  check-list,  and 
more  than  one-half  of  about  300  species,  known  to  have  oc- 
curred in  Massachusetts.  In  this  volume  I  have,  with  the 
exception  of  the  game-birds,  treated  the  typical  land-birds 
only.  The  Insessores  contain  five  orders,  described  in  the 
following  chapters. 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  27 

CHAPTER  I. 

FIRST  ORDER.     PASSERES. 

THESE  birds  "  are  the  typical  Insessores,  as  such  representing 
the  highest  grade  of  development,  and  the  most  complex  or- 
ganization, of  the  class.  Their  high  physical  irritability  is 
coordinate  with  the  rapidity  of  their  respiration  and  circula- 
tion ;  they  consume  the  most  oxygen,  and  live  the  fastest,  of 
all  birds."  1  All  our  forms,  at  least,  are  characterized  as  fol- 
lows :  bill  without  a  cere,  or  a  soft  basal  membrane  ;  front-toes 
never  only  two,  or  united  throughout  (i.  e.  two  of  them),  hind 
toe  never  wanting ;  tail-feathers  twelve.  This  group  may  be 
characterized,  as  a  whole,  as  the  only  order  of  birds,  of  which 
all  the  species  invariably  build  a  nest  in  which  to  lay  their 
eggs.  Among  the  birds  breeding  in  Massachusetts  there  is  no 
exception  to  this  rule,  except  the  parasitic  Cow-bird. 

"  Passeres,  corresponding  to  the  Insessores  proper  of  most 
ornithologists,  and  comprising  the  great  majority  of  birds,  are 
divisible  into  two  groups,  commonly  called  suborders,  mainly 
according  to  the  structure  of  the  lower  larynx.  In  one,  this 
organ  is  a  complex  muscular  vocal  apparatus  ;  in  the  other  the 
singing  parts  are  less  developed,  rudimentary,  or  wanting.  In 
the  first,  likewise,  the  tarsus  is  normally  covered  on  either  side 
with  two  entire  horny  plates,  that  meet  behind  in  a  sharp  ridge  ; 
in  the  other,  these  plates  are  subdivided,  or  otherwise  difl^r- 
ently  arranged.  This  latter  is  about  the  only  external  feature 
that  can  be  pointed  out  as  of  extensive  applicability ;  and  even 
this  does  not  always  hold  good.  For  example,  among  our 
birds,  the  larks  (Alaudidce) ,  held  to  be  Oscine,  and  certainly 
to  be  called  songsters,  have  the  tarsus  perfectly  scutellate  be- 
hind."1 

The  Oscines,  or  singing  Passeres,  technically  considered  the 

1  Dr.  Coues ;  "  Key  to  North  American  Birds." 


28  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

only  musical  birds,  form  about  one-third  of  our  ornithological 
fauna,  and  in  Massachusetts  are  represented  by  eighteen  fami- 
lies. 

The  Clamatores,  or  non-singing  Passeres,  are  represented  by 
the  flycatchers  (§  19). 

§  1.  The  Turdid.se,  or  thrushes,  now  considered  the  high- 
est group  among  birds,  and  ranked  accordingly,  are  6^-12 
inches  long.  Bill  not  conical  (which  term  in  ornithology  ne- 
cessitates rather  straight  outlines,  and  a  depth  approaching 
the  length)  but  at  least  twice  as  long  as  high ;  with  the  upper 
mandible  usually  hooked  and  slightly  notched  ;  also  bristled  and 
with  open  nostrils  (pi.  1,  fig.  2).  Average  length  of  the  tarsus 
about  1-15  inch  ;  middle  toe  nearly  or  quite  equal ;  other  toes 
considerably  shorter,  and  approximately  equal.  Primaries  ten, 
the  first  being  more  or  less  spurious.  Tail  never  forked,  but 
often  rounded,  and  of  twelve  feathers  as  in  all  our  other  oscine 
birds.  The  Saxicolidce  (§2)  and  Sylviidce  (§3)  differ  but  lit- 
tle in  structure  or  plumage  :  their  coloration  is,  however,  very 
much  brighter,  and  their  tails  (at  least  in  the  genera  Sialia 
and  Regulus)  are  more  or  less  forked.  Our  bluebirds  are, 
moreover,  seven  inches  long  or  less,  and  our  "s37lvias"  all 
less  than  five. 

The  typical  groups  of  these  three  families  (including  the 
subfamilies  Turdince  and  Hegulince)  are  characterized  by 
booted  tarsi  (pi.  1,  fig.  1).  The  other  subfamilies,  Mimince 
and  PolioptilincK  (the  mocking-thrushes  andgnatcatchers),  have 
scutellate  tarsi  (pi.  1,  fig.  3),  and  rather  long,  rounded  tails. 
I  am  inclined  to  think  that  the  Harporhynchi  (Gen.  Ill)  are 
entitled  to  the  rank  of  a  subfamily.  Their  bills  are  unnotched, 
unhooked,  and  frequently  curved  (pi.  1,  fig.  4).  Their  eggs, 
moreover,  are  markedly  different  from  those  of  all  other 
thrushes.  The  common  Blue  Bird  may  be  considered  a  repre- 
sentative of  the  Saxicolidce,  while  the  Sylviidce  are  closely  re- 
lated to  the  titmice  and  warblers.  The  Wood  Thrush  and  Cat- 
bird are  good  types  of  their  respective  groups,  though  several 
thrushes  nest  upon  the  ground,  or  have  spotted  eggs. 


OF    NEW    ENGLAND.  29 

The  subfamilies  of  the  thrushes  are : 

TURDIN^E,  Genus  Turdus,  I. 

(Highly  musical).     Subgenus  Hylociclila  (A-E.2  fig.  1). 
(Moderately  musical).     Subgenus  Planesticus  (F). 

MIMING,  Genera  II  and  III. 

I.   TURDUS 

(A)    MUSTELINUS.     Wood  Tlirusli.     "  Song  Thrush" 
(A  common  summer-resident  in  Massachusetts.) 


Fig.  1.    Wood  Thrush  ($). 

(a).  About  eight  inches  long.  Above,  soft  but  bright  red- 
dish-brown (or  "tawny"),  gradually  becoming  soft  "olive-dusky" 
on  the  rump,  tail,  and  end  of  the  wings.  Beneath,  white,  with 
a  very  slight  buff  tinge  upon  the  breast ;  spotted  on  the  breast 
and  sides  with  dark  brown  (or  "dusky"). 

(b).  The  nest  sometimes  closely  resembles  that  of  the 
Robin,  but  it  is  often  composed  outwardly  of  moss  and  even 
twigs,  though  subject  to  considerable  variation  in  composition 
and  structure.  It  is  built,  never  very  far  from  the  ground,  in 
a  bush  or  tree,  in  the  woods  (especially  those  of  low  growth), 
and  often  in  a  swampy  place.  The  eggs  of  each  set  are  four 


3  The  wood  thrushes.    The  robins  (F)  are  well-known;  (G)  has  been  separated 
from  them,  and  placed  in  subgenus  Heeperocichla. 


30  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

or  five,  and  like  those  of  the  Robin,  but  smaller,  measuring 
1-10— l-OOX'70  of  an  inch.  Those  of  the  first  set  are  usually 
laid  near  Boston  in  the  last  week  of  May — those  Of  the  second, 
if  any,  in  the  early  part  of  July. 

(c).  The  Wood  Thrushes  probably  represent  the  highest 
type  among  birds  ;  excelling  all  others,  except  their  immediate 
relatives,  in  details  of  structure,  in  the  quiet  beauty  of  their 
coloration,  and  in  the  refinement  of  their  habits  ;  and  they  are 
certainly  to  be  ranked  among  the  finest  singers  of  the  world. 

Though  possessed  of  comparatively  little  power  of  flight, 
yet  the  Wood  Thrushes,  like  most  other  birds,  migrate  very 
far  (more  than  a  thousand  miles),  —  about  the  tenth  of  May 
reaching  Massachusetts,  to  the  northward  of  which,  in  New 
England,  they  rarely  go.  But  they  are  common  in  southern 
New  England  from  the  time  of  their  arrival  until  that  of  their 
departure  in  September  or  October  ;  during  the  summer-months 
inhabiting  groves  and  woods  of  various  kinds,  oftenest,  per- 
haps, those  which  are  swampy  or  of  low  growth.  In  such 
places  they  build  their  nest  and  rear  their  young,  and  there 
obtain  the  necessary  supply  of  insect-food,  either  from  the 
ground,  over  which  they  can  run  with  some  rapidity,  or  from 
the  bushes  and  trees,  among  which  they  move  with  such  leisure 
and  dignified  grace  as  would  become  a  prince.  The  most  con- 
spicuous feature  in  the  Natural  History  of  these  birds  is  the 
apparent  modesty  and  the  actual  love  of  privacy  or  solitude, 
which  they  generally,  though  not  invariably  possess.  These 
lend  a  charm  to  the  study  of  their  habits  and  their  music,  but 
they  also  cause  difficulty  in  acquiring  an  intimacy  with  them, — 
a  difficulty,  however,  which  can  be  overcome.  Though  the 
Wood  Thrushes  are  so  fond  of  individuality  and  retirement, 
that  they  are  never  properly  gregarious,  and  that  they  prefer 
retreats  in  woodland,  where  they  are, unlikely  to  be  disturbed, 
to  all  other  suitable  haunts,  yet  they  often  build  their  nests  in 
quite  conspicuous  places,  and  frequent  the  immediate  neigh- 
borhood of  man.  Nor  are  they  then  more  shy  than  under 
other  circumstances, — in  fact,  the  female  is  generally  prompted 
by  instinctive  motherliness  to  sit  as  bravely  on  her  nest,  when 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  81 

built  upon  a  roadside,  as  when  in  a  swamp  of  alders.  The 
Wood  Thrushes  usually  sing  from  a  high  branch,  whereas  they 
find  their  food  on  or  near  the  ground  ;  but,  wherever  they  are, 
they  generally  preserve,  except  when  running,  a  rather  erect 
attitude,  observable  also  in  the  Robin  and  the  other  (typical) 
thrushes.  If  I  have  forgotten  to  speak  of  other  habits,  let  the 
reader  go  to  the  haunts  already  described,  or  to  cool  woods 
on  the  banks  of  some  rapid-running  brook,  and  there  learn 
them. 

(d).  In  the  cool  of  the  morning,  or  at  evening,  from  the 
time  when  the  sun  sets  until  dusk  becomes  dark,  the  Wood 
Thrush,  having  mounted  to  a  perch  so  high  that  his  outbursts 
of  heavenly  music  shall  not  be  confined  to  earth -or  lost  in  the 
surrounding  shrubbery,  pours  out  such  a  melody,  that  he  seems 
at  every  utterance  "  to  be  endeavoring  to  recall  his  very  soul, 
that  fled  to  heaven  on  the  winged  notes  of  his  last  liquid  mel- 
ody." At  other  times  of  the  day,  if  it  is  cloudy,  or  if  he  is  in 
dark,  cool  woods,  he  sings  while  he  is  busied  in  providing  for 
himself  or  his  family,  and  as  he  moves  through  the  bushes. 
This  song  is  rarely  one  continuous  strain,  but  consists  of  many 
detached  variations,  a  series  of  liquid,  metallic,  rich,  powerful, 
and  expressive  notes,  which  are  so  exquisite  that  the  all-ab- 
sorbed and  unobtrusive  musician  seldom  if  ever  fails  to  charm 
whoever  hears  him.  Yet,  it  ought  to  be  remembered  that, 
though  some  Wood  Thrushes  can  produce  such  music  as  per- 
haps no  other  birds  can  rival,  others  of  them  are  greatly  infe- 
rior to  their  fellows. 

The  ordinary  notes  of  the  Wood  Thrush  are  a  mellow  chirp, 
more  metallic  and  less  melancholy  in  tone  than  that  of  the 
Wilson's  Thrush,  a  chuck  (sometimes  combined  with  it),  and  a 
simple  chip,  such  as  belongs  to  a  large  majority  of  all  the  birds 
described  in  this  volume. 

All,  who  wish  to  have  an  insight  into  the  charms,  which 
attend  the  study  of  animated  birds,  should  observe  the  Wood 
Thrush  in  his  native  haunts,  and  faithfully  attend  the  delightful 
concerts,  which  he  so  often  repeats  in  the  cooler  hours  of  the 
day,  in  June,  July,  and  even  August. 


32  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

S 

(B)  FUCESCENS.  Wilson's  Thrush.  Tawny  Thrush.  Com- 
mon Thrush.  "Cheeury."  "Veery."  ("Nightingale") 

(In  Massachusetts  the  most  common  of  the  wood  thrushes, 
A-E.) 

(a).  7-7 \  inches  long.  Above,  soft,  bright  reddish-brown 
(or  "tawny").  Beneath,  white;  breast  strongly  tinged  with 
fulvous  (or  a  pinkish  brown),  and,  together  with  the  sides  of 
the  throat,  sparsely — sometimes  almost  imperceptibly — streaked 
with  small  dusky  spots. 

(6).  The  nest  is  usually  placed  on  the  ground,  and  rarely 
in  a  bush  or  low  tree.  It  is  generally  composed  of  grasses 
and  dead  leaves,  to  which  grape-vine  bark  is  sometimes  added, 
and  it  is  often  lined  with  finer  grasses  and  roots,  or  even 
horse-hairs.  I  have  commonly,  but  not  always,  found  it  in 
tussocks  of  grass  or  hillocks  of  moss,  in  swamps  or  near  them. 
The  eggs  average  *85  X  '60  of  an  inch,  and  are  light  blue, 
green-tinted.  In  Massachusetts,  the  first  annual  set  (of  four 
or  five)  generally  appears  in  the  last  week  of  May,  or  the  first 
of  June ;  a  second  set  (of  three  or  four)  is  sometimes  laid  in 
July. 

(c).  The  Wilson's  Thrushes  are  in  Massachusetts  the*  most 
common  of  the  so-called  "  wood  thrushes,"  but  in  northern 
New  England  are  rare,  being  generally  much  less  common 
than  the  Hermit  or  Swainson's  Thrush  in  New  Hampshire  and 
Maine.  They  reach  the  neighborhood  of  Boston,  in  their  an- 
nual spring-migrations,  almost  invariably  on  or  about  the 
eighth  day  of  May,  and  very  often  before  pear-trees  have  blos- 
somed,—  a  fact  which  I  mention,  because  the  blossoming  of 
those  trees  has  frequently  been  spoken  of  as  coincident  with 
the  arrival  of  these  birds  from  their  winter-homes  in  the  South. 
Their  first  appearance  Is  in  those  haunts  where  they  pass  the 
summer ;  and  in  the  swamps  three  or  four  sometimes  collect 
and  engage  in  the  quarrels  entailed  by  courtship,  previous  to 
mating.  The  Wilson's.  Thrushes,  though  not  so  fond  of  soli- 
tude as  the  Wood  Thrush,  are  rather  shy,  and  yet  they  often 
wander  in  quest  of  food  to  the  orchard,  garden,  and  the  im- 
mediate neighborhood  of  man  or  his  dwellings.  They  prefer, 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  33 

however,  to  remain  in  the  swamps  and  the  adjacent  woods, 
during  a  great  part  of  the  day.  They  can  run  over  the 
ground  with  rapidity,  but  in  the  woods  they  usually  poke  about 
quietly  among  the  pine-needles  and  dead  leaves,  where  they 
can  find  the  insects  on  which  they  feed,  and  in  the  swamps 
walk  over  the  decaj'ed  vegetation,  which  has  become  matted 
on  the  ground,  or  has  accumulated  on  the  stagnant  pools  of 
water.  When  disturbed,  while  thus  busied,  they  generally  fly 
to  a  bush  near  the  spot,  and  sit  there  quite  motionless,  occa- 
sionally uttering  their  chirp,  until  it  seems  to  them  safe  to 
return  to  their  interrupted  occupation.  They  also  obtain  much 
of  their  food  from  trees,  and  arc  particularly  fond  of  pine- 
groves,  where  they  may  often  be  seen,  generally  on  the  broader- 
backed  limbs.  They  seem,  when  perching,  to  prefer  these  to 
the  smaller  branches,  as  they  also  do  a  post  to  a  fence-rail, 
apparently  liking  a  broad  surface  to  stand  upon  rather  than 
one  which  they  mus-t  grasp.  They  are  rarely  seen  far  from  the 
ground,  and  seldom  protract  their  flight  for  more  than  a  hun- 
dred yards,  except  occasionally  when  conveying  food  to  their 
young  from  a  comparatively  remote  orchard,  garden,  or  swamp. 
They  deserve  to  be  regarded  on  a  cultivated  estate  not  only 
as  sources  of  pleasure,  but  also  as  extremely  useful.  Mr. 
Samuels,  in  an  article  on  the  Robin  in  his  book  entitled  "Birds 
of  New  England  and  Adjacent  States,"  says :  u  In  fact,  the 
Thrushes  seem  designed  by  nature  to  rid  the  surface  of  the 
soil  of  noxious  insects  not  often  pursued  by  most  other  birds. 
The  warblers  capture  the  insects  that  prey  on  the  foliage  of 
the  trees  ;  the  flycatchers  seize  these  insects  as  they  fly  from 
the  trees';  the  swallows  capture  those  which  have  escaped 
all  these ;  the  woodpeckers  destroy  them  when  in  the  larva 
state  in  the  wood  ;  the  wrens,  nuthatches,  titmice  and  creepers, 
eat  the  eggs  and  young  that  live  on  and  beneath  the  bark ; 
but  the  thrushes  subsist  on  those  that  destroy  the  vegetation 
on  the  surface  of  the  earth."3 


3  Many  thrushes  obtain  much  of  their  food  from  trees;  the  Swainson's  Thrushes 
most  of  it.    Many  sparrows  feed  as  thrushes  do. 

4 


34  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

(d).  The  voice  of  the  Wilson's  Thrushes  is  not  so  fine  as 
that  of  the  Wood  Thrush,  and,  when  heard  from  a  near  stand- 
point, sounds  peculiarly  muffled,  though,  when  heard  at  a 
greater  distance,  it  becomes  mellow  and  much  clearer.  From 
the  first  of  June  until  the  time  of  their  departure  (the  first  of 
September)  draws  near,  one  may  often  hear  in  the  day-time 
the  simple  song  of  these  birds,  "  cheeury,  cheeury,  cheeury  ,"4 
which  they  give  utterance  to,  generally  from  some  bough  in 
the  pine-groves,  or  the  other  woods  which  they  frequent.  It 
is  in  the  summer-evenings  that  this  song  is  somewhat  pro- 
longed, becoming  "  more  glorious";  and  the  male,  when  his 
mate  is  on  her  nest,  sometimes  repeats  it  at  night,  whence  he 
is  among  the  birds,  upon  whom  the  epithet  "  Nightingale  "  has 
been  bestowed. 

The  ordinary  note  of  the  "  Veeries  "  is  a  characteristic  and 
peculiar  chirp,  a  liquid  sound,  often  uttered  in  a  seemingly 
petulant  and  melancholy  tone ;  besides  which  they  often  give 
utterance  to  chips,  chicks,  u  lisps"  like  those  of  the  Cedar-bird, 
and  a  harsh  "  grating  "  sound,  much  like  that  of  other  birds 
and  peculiar  to  the  mating-season. 

The  two  thrushes  already  described  are  summer-residents  in 
Massachusetts.  The  other  (typical)  thrushes,  whom  I  am 
about  to  describe,  only  pass  through  this  State,  spending  their 
summers  in  a  more  northern  climate. 

(C)  PALLASI.  Hermit  Thrush.  "Swamp  Thrush."  "Sivamp 
Robin." 

(Common  near  Boston  in  April  and  October.) 

(a).  About  seven  inches  long.  Above,  soft  dusky-olive, 
becoming  rufous  on  the  rump  and  tail.  Under  parts  white ; 
breast  buff-tinged  and  darkly  spotted  ;  sides  olive-shaded. 

(&).  The  nest  of  the  Hermit  Thrush,  which  has  rarely  been 
found  in  Massachusetts,  is  placed  almost  invariably  upon  the 


4  This  chant,  which  is  not  unlike  some  of  the  Wood  Thrush's  music,  consists  of 
three  or  four  triplets  on  a  descending  scale,  in  each  triplet  the  first  note  being  the 
highest. 


OF    NEW    ENGLAND.  35 

ground,  occasionally  in  swamps,  but  more  often  on  sunny, 
sloping,  and  shrubby  banks  near  them.  It  is  much  like  that 
of  the  Wilson's  Thrush  (B),  though  usually  rather  larger, 
coarser,  and  more  loosely  constructed.  The  Hermit  Thrushes 
often  lay  two  sets  of  three  or  four  eggs,  one  in  the  first  week 
of  June,  and  one  about  a  month  later.  Their  eggs  are  very 
much  like  those  of  the  "  Veeries"  (B),  but  are  larger,  averag 
ing  -90  X  "65  of  an  inch.  They  are  light  greenish  blue,  never 
spotted. 

(c).  In  the  woods  about  Boston  (and  of  course  in  other 
woods),  whether  swampy  or  dry,  and  also  along  the  wooded 
roadsides,  from  the  middle  of  April  until  the  first  of  May,  one 
may  see  a  great  number  of  Hermit  Thrushes.  During  their 
stay  here,  these  birds,  often  in  pairs,  and  sometimes  in  small 
parties  (a  fact,  which  shows  that  their  name  is  not  altogether 
an  appropriate  one),  spend  their  time,  for  the  most  part  in 
silence,  busied  among  the  dead  leaves  and  underbrush,  occas- 
ionally resting  on  a  low  perch,  and  rarely  ftying  far  when  dis- 
turbed. They  are  quiet  birds,  and,  though  often  easily  ap- 
proached, prefer  those  places  where  they  are  not  likely  to  be 
intruded  upon.  On  leaving  this  State  in  the  spring,  they  pass 
on  to  northern  New  England  and  to  Canada,  where  they  spend 
the  summer  and  rear  their  young,  being  in  some  localities  the 
most  common  thrushes.  In  October,  they  return  to  Massachu- 
setts in  the  course  of  their  journey  to  their  winter-homes  in 
the  South,  and  a  few  linger  until  November  is  well  advanced.5 
During  their  sojourn  here  in  autumn,  they  frequent  the  ground 
much  less  than  in  spring,  and  feed  largely  on  various  kinds  of 
berries,  many  of  which  they  find  in  swamps. 

These  birds  are  to  be  associated  with  October,  when  the 
roads,  hardened  by  frost,  are  neither  muddy  nor  dusty,  when 
the  paths  through  the  woods  are  strewn  with  the  soft  fallen 


8  Mr.  Maynard,  writing  of  the  Hermit  Thrush  in  the  "  Naturalist's  Guide," 
says  that  he  has  "  taken  it  in  Coos  County,  New  Hampshire,  on  October  31st,  al- 
though the  ground  was  covered  with  snow,  six  inches  deep  at  the  time;  also  in 
Oxford  County,  Maine,  as  late  as  November  6th."  He  adds  that  "a  few  undoubt- 
edly breed  here." 


36  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

leaves,  which  rustle  pleasantly  beneath  one's  feet,  when  the 
clear,  cold,  exhilarating  weather  is  well  adapted  to  exercise, 
when  the  maples  are  in  the  utmost  splendor  of  their  brilliant 
coloring,  and  finally  when  the  hills,  covered  with  the  oaks  of 
low  growth,  where  once  forests  stood,  glow  with  the  rich  crim- 
son, which  at  last  becomes  a  dull  brown,  showing  winter  to  be 
near  at  hand. 

(d).  The  Hermit  Thrushes  very  rarely  sing  except  in  the 
summer-season,  and  generally,  while  with  us,  their  only  notes 
are  a  mellow  chirp,  a  loud  chuck,  rarely  uttered  (especially  in 
spring?),  and  a  single  low  whistle,  which  seems  to  come  from 
a  more  distant  point  than  that  which  the  bird  occupies.  When 
frightened  from  their  nests  they  often  utter  a  very  character- 
istic dissyllabic  note,  expressive  of  their  sorrow.  Their  song 
is  strikingty  fine,  and  recalls  the  melody  of  the  Wood  Thrush 
to  one  familiar  with  that  melody,  though  lacking  the  power 
and  full  music  of  the  latter,  being,  as  Mr.  Burroughs  has  said, 
silvery  rather  than  golden.  It  usually  begins  with  a  few  low, 
rich  notes,  which  are  followed  by  the  higher  and  more  ringing 
ones. 

Though  the  Hermit  Thrushes  bear  a  strong  general  resem- 
blance to  the  two  other  "  wood  thrushes,"  whom  an  inexperi- 
enced observer  is  likely  to  see  in  any  part  of  this  State 
(A  and  B),  yet  they  are  rarely  seen  in  the  company  of  those 
birds,  preceding  them  in  the  spring-migrations,  and  returning 
to  the  South  later.  They  sometimes  are  found  daring  their 
annual  journeys  in  company  with  the  Gray-cheeked  or  Swain- 
son's  Thrush,  but  the  former  is  rare,  and  seldom  has  any  red- 
dish-brown tinting  on  the  upper  parts,  and  the  latter  has  both 
rather  distinct  habits  and  notes.  Let  the  young  student,  who 
wishes  to  distinguish  several  closely  allied  species,  mark  the 
points  of  difference,  and  not  the  similar  characteristics  of  each, 
and  let  him  avoid  employing  only  one  means  of  distinction, 
such  as  coloration. 

(D)  SWAINSONI.  Swainson's  Thrush.  Olive-backed  Thrush. 
"Swamp  Robin"? 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  37 

(A  rather  rare  migrant  through  Massachusetts.) 

(a).  7-7 J  inches  long.  Above,  soft,  dusky  olive  (occas- 
ionally with  a  reddish-brown  tinge).  Sides  of  the  head  buff, 
and  breast  strongly  tinged  with  the  same  color.  The  latter 
and  the  sides  of  the  throat,  thickly  spotted  with  dusky.  Eye- 
ring  buff. 

(b).  The  nest  is  a  rather  bulky  structure,  usually  composed 
of  twigs,  mosses,  grasses,  leaves,  etc.,  with  no  mud,  and 
sometimes  lined  with  the  coal-black  hairs  of  a  certain  moss. 
It  is  placed  in  a  spruce,  low  tree,  or  perhaps  a  bush,  from  three 
to  ten  feet  above  the  ground.  It  is  often  built  beside  a  road 
or  wood-path.  The  first  set,  of  three  or  four  eggs,  is  usually 
laid  in  the  first,  or  perhaps  more  often  the  second  week  of  June  ; 
the  second  set  is  laid  four  or  five  weeks  later.  The  eggs  are 
much  like  those  of  the  Scarlet  Tanager,  being  about  *95  X  "70 
of  an  inch,  and  light  blue,  olive-tinged,  either  finely  marked 
with  indistinct  brown,  or  coarsely  spotted  (with  a  few  fine 
markings  beside),  chiefly  at  the  great  end,  with  obscure  lilac, 
and  two  shades  of  brown. 

(c).  Though  the  Swainson's  Thrushes  are  by  no  means  very 
common  migrants  through  Eastern  Massachusetts,  yet  a  vigi- 
lant and  energetic  ornithologist  can  hardly  fail  to  meet  with 
them  in  the  spring.  Groves  of  tall  hemlocks  are  among  the 
places,  where,  about  the  middle  of  May,  I  have  seen  these 
birds,  not  on  the  ground,  but  among  the  branches  of  the  trees, 
from  which  they  occasionally  dart  into  the  air  and  catch  insects 
in  the  manner  of  flycatchers.  I  have  also  met  them  in  swampy 
roads,  or  even  in  orchards,  and  have  observed  them  on  the 
ground,  often  moving  quite  rapidly,  or  pausing  in  a  rather  erect 
attitude.  Probably,  it  is  partly  because  of  their  usual  shy- 
ness while  migrating,  partly  because  they  often  frequent  the 
higher  branches,  and  partly  because  two  of  their  ordinary  notes 
are  very  much  like  those  of  the  Snow-birds  (of  whom  a  few 
linger  in  May),  that  they  are  often  considered  rarer  than  they 
are.  Before  June  all  the  Olive-backed  Thrushes  pass  beyond 
the  limits  of  this  State,  and  of  these  many  spend  the  summer 
in  northern  Vermont  or  New  Hampshire,  and  in  Maine,  some 


38  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

of  them  revisiting  the  neighborhood  of  Boston  about  the  first 
of  October,  when  the  wonderful  instinct  of  migration  prompts 
them  to  return  to  Florida  or  still  further  to  the  South.  In  a 
certain  township  among  the  White  Mountains  I  have  studied 
the  habits  of  these  birds,  who  there  inhabit  various  kinds  of 
woodland,  particularly  those  which 'have  swamps  or  brooks  in 
them,  but  keep  nearer  the  ground,  and  exhibit  much  less  shy- 
ness in  those  wild  woods  than  they  habitually  do,  when  travel- 
ing. 

In  autumn,  however,  they  are  much  less  shy  and  active  than 
they  are  in  spring ;  and,  during  the  fall-migrations,  they  may 
be  found  in  woods  and  copses.  There  they  pick  up  food  from 
the  ground  and  the  lower  branches  of  bushes  or  trees,  since  at 
that  season  there  are  few  winged  insects,  of  a  size  acceptable 
to  them,  to  be  caught  in  the  air,  and  since  before  the  severer 
frosts  of  autumn  have  come,  and  before  the  Hermit  Thrushes 
are  abundant,  a  large  supply  of  food  suitable  to  them  can  be 
found  among  the  dead  leaves,  many  of  which  have  then  al- 
ready fallen. 

To  resume  the  remarks  just  interrupted, —  in  the  woods  of 
the  White  Mountains,  they  sing  almost  throughout  the  sum- 
mer, and  often  throughout  the  day,  for  the  old  forests  of  New 
Hampshire  are  always  cool  and  shady.  They  more  often  sing, 
however,  in  the  early  morning,  or  at  sunset,  as  does  the  Wood 
Thrush,  and,  t  like  that  bird,  they  frequently  perch  on  a  high 
and  prominent  bough  when  about  to  sing.  They  usually  stay 
on  their  nests  rather  more  boldly  than  the  Hermit  Thrushes 
are  wont  to  do,  and  watch  over  their  young,  when  they  have 
left  the  nest,  with  great  care,  showing  as  warm  an  interest  in 
their  offspring,  as  I  have  ever  seen  displayed  in  birds. 

(d).  The  ordinary  note  of  the  Swainson's  Thrushes,  espec- 
ially when  in  their  summer-homes,  is  an  attractive  one,  exactly 
resembling  the  word  "whit"  brusquely  whistled  in  a  tolerably 
low  tone,  and  very  quickly.  Their  song-notes  exhibit  less 
variation  than  those  of  any  of  their  immediate  relations,  being 
all  nearly  on  the  same  pitch,  and  reminding  one  forcibly  of  the 
less  brilliant  singers  among  the  Wood  Thrushes,  and  bearing 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  39 

more  resemblance  to  the  notes  of  that  bird  than  to  those  of 
any  other.  Though,  as  I  have  said,  less  varied  than  those  of 
the  other  "wood  thrushes,"  they  are  sweet,  clear,  and  liquid, 
and  possess  great  charm. 

The  other  notes  of  the  Olive-backed  Thrushes,  are  a  chuck 
of  alarm,  a  feeble  tsip  quite  uncharacteristic,  and  a  cry  of 
chick,  chick-a-sit,  etc.,  like  that  of  the  Snow-bird,  to  which  I 
have  heard  them  give  utterance  in  spring,  when  chasing  one 
another  through  the  branches,  or  when  slightly  alarmed.  They 
have  also  a  feebly  whistled  peep,  heard  chiefly  in  autumn. 

The  "New  Hampshire  Thrushes,"  though  they  correspond  to 
the  Wood  Thrush  of  Massachusetts,  are  yet  inferior  to  that 
bird.  How  then  would  they  be  ranked  by  Buffon,  who  wrote 
of  the  latter,  says  Wilson,  "  that  the  Song  Thrush  of  Europe 
had,  at  some  time  after  the  creation,  rambled  round  by  the 
Northern  ocean,  and  made  its  way  to  America  ;  that  advancing 
to  the. south  it  had  there  (of  consequence)  become  degenerated 
by  change  of  food  and  climate,  so  that  its  cry  is  now  harsh  and 
unpleasant,  '  as  are  the  cries  of  all  birds  that  live  in  wild  coun- 
tries inhabited  by  savages.' "  ? 

(E)  ALICIA.  Gray-cheeked  Thrush.  Alice's  Thrush.  Arctic 
Thrush. 

(In  New  England  a  rare  migrant.) 

(a).  7£-8  inches  long.  Above  soft,  subdued  olive-green. 
Sides  of  the  head  gray.  Beneath  white,  with  little  or  no  buff; 
breast  and  sides  of  the  throat  spotted  with  dark  brown.  It  is 
said  that  specimens  of  this  species  grade  inseparably  into 
others  of  Stvainsoni  (D) .  But  distinctions  are  not  to  be  based 
wholly  on  coloration. 

(b).  The  Gray-cheeked  Thrushes  build  their  nests  in  Arctic 
countries,  most  often  on  the  ground.  The  only  egg  of  this 
species  in  my  collection  is  like  that  of  the  Swainson's  Thrush, 
but  more  thickly  and  minutely  marked.  (See  Z),  b.) 

(c).  The  Graj'-cheeked  Thrush  is  thought  by  some  ornithol- 
ogists not  to  be  a  valid  species,  bat,  if  not  a  species  distinct 
from  the  Swainson's  Thrush,  it  is  a  very  distinct  variety  or 


40  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

geographical  race.6  It  differs  from  that  bird,  slightly  in  color- 
ation, and  markedly  as  to  distribution,  habits  (song),  and  notes. 

The  Arctic  Thrushes  are  the  rarest  of  those  who  migrate 
through  Massachusetts,  particularly  that  part  which  borders 
upon  the  sea,  since  they  generally  prefer  a  more  inland  route 
to  the  North  than  this  State  affords.  I  have  occasionally  seen 
them  in  the  latter  part  of  April  or  in  May,  but  they  are  shy 
and  very  timid,  so  that  it  is  difficult  to  approach  them  closely, 
as,  when  startled,  they  fly  about  restlessly.  Perhaps,  on  this 
account,  they  have  escaped  general  observation.  They  are 
eminently  terrestrial  birds,  and  spend  nearly  all  their  time  on 
the  ground,  picking  up  their  food  among  the  fallen  leaves  in 
such  places  as  the  Hermit  Thrush  frequents  ;  often  preferring, 
however,  dry  land  and  solitary  spots,  where  they  run  but  little 
risk  of  being  disturbed.  They  stand  rather  more  erectly  than 
the  "Swamp  Robins"  so  called  (T.  Pallasi),  but  it  must  be 
remembered  that  erectness  of  bearing  is  a  general  character- 
istic of  all  "  wood  thrushes."  They  pass  the  summer  in  the 
Arctic  region,  and,  on  their  return  to  the  South,  pass  through 
the  neighborhood  of  Boston  about  the  first  of  October,  but  are 
then  extremely  rare,  since  "  in  the  fall-migrations  they  follow 
for  the  most  part  a  route  far  from  the  sea-shore." 

(d).  Their  ordinary  note  is  a  single  low,  and  perhaps  to 
some  ears  rather  melancholy  whistle  —  "when."  As  to  their 
other  notes  I  am  uncertain,  and  I  have  never  heard  their 
song,  but  Dr.  Brewer,  in  "  North  American  Birds,"  says  that  it 
is  totally  different  "  from  that  of  (all  our  other  Wood  Thrushes. 
It  most  resembles  the  song  of  T.  Pallasi,  but  differs  from  it  in 
being  its  exact  inverse,  for  whereas  the  latter  begins  with  its 
lowest  and  proceeds  on  an  ascending  scale,  the  former  begins 
with  its  highest,  and  concludes  with  its  lowest  note.  The  song 
of  the  T.  Swainsoni  on  the  other  hand,  exhibits  much  less 
variation  in  the  scale,  all  the  notes  being  of  nearly  the  same 
altitude." 


6  If  a  variety,  Swainson's  Thrush  is  the  other  variety,  and  the  Olive-backed 
Thrush  the  species  including  both. 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  41 


(F)    MIGRATORIUS.     (American)  Robin. 

(An  extremely  common  summer-resident  in  Massachusetts, 
where  a  few  pass  the  winter.) 

(a).  9-10  inches  long.  Above,  dark  (olive)  gray;  head 
and  tail  almost  black,  both  with  white  spots.  Breast  of  a 
peculiar  ruddy  red  or  orange-brown,  in  pale  specimens  merely 
dun-colored.  Chin,  under  tail-coverts,  etc.,  white,  more  or 
less  black-streaked.  Bill  generally  }rellow. 

(6).  The  Robins  build  their  nests  in  bushes,  vines,  the  larger 
garden-shrubs,  or  most  often  in  trees ;  evergreens,  particu- 
larly pines  and  spruces,  being  preferred  to  all  others.  Where 
these  latter  are  wanting,  they  often  build  their  nests  in  orchard- 
trees,  or  in  those  which  shade  the  streets ;  occasional!}7,  how- 
ever, placing  them  about  some  building.  The  nest  is  "  sad- 
dled "  to  a  bough  or  placed  in  a  fork,  from  three  to  fifty  feet 
above  the  ground,  and  is  a  very  firm  though  rather  rude  struc- 
ture, consisting  chiefly  of  mud,  and  of  dry  grass  or  its  equiv- 
alent. 

The  eggs  of  each  set  are  four  or  five,  delicate  greenish  blue, 
and  about  1-15  X  '80  of  an  inch.  I  have  found  freshly  laid 
eggs  of  this  species  from  May  first  until  the  twentieth  of  July  ; 
two  or  even  three  broods  being  usually  raised,  if  the  parents 
are  undisturbed. 

(c).  The  Robins  are  undoubtedly  in  summer  the  most  abun- 
dant of  all  the  birds  in  Massachusetts,  and  to  most  country- 
residents  in  this  State  are  probably  the  most  familiar ;  but  in 
northern  New  England  they  are  much  less  common  than  in 
most  other  parts  of  the  eastern  states.  Dr.  Brewer,  however, 
has  written  that  "  in  the  valleys  amongst  the  White  Moun- 
tains, where  snow  covers  the  ground  from  October  to  June, 
and  where  the  cold  reaches  the  freezing-point  of  mercury, 
flocks  of  Robins  remain  during  the  entire  winter,  attracted  by 
the  abundance  of  berries."  A  few  certainly  spend  the  winter 
about  us,  in  the  swamps,  and  also  in  cedar-woods ;  for,  though 
these  latter  contain  but  few  berries,  or  none,  yet  the  thick  foli- 
age of  many  of  the  trees  affords  safe  shelter  from  heavy 


42  LAND-BIRDS   AND   GAME-BIRDS 

storms  of  snow,  when  protection  is  so  much  needed.  Though 
I  have  seen  companies  of  Robins  in  February,  it  is  not  usually 
until  the  early  part  of  March  that  they  come  from  the  South ; 
on  their  arrival,  collecting  in  flocks  and  feeding  on  barberries, 
small  fruits  of  the  same  kind,  and  such  other  suitable  food  as 
they  can  find.  They  retire,  at  this  season,  a  few  minutes  before 
the  hour  of  sunset,  generally  passing  the  night  in  spruces  ; 
and,  in  the  early  morning,  arising  before  the  sun,  the}T  gen- 
erally betake  themselves  to  the  southern  slope  of  some  hill, 
where  the  snow  has  melted,  thus  offering  to  them  the  comfort 
of  a  little  bare  ground,  and  there  they  pass  the  day. 

It  is  very  wonderful  that  birds  employed  in  active  exercise 
throughout  the  day,  perhaps  a  bright  one,  when  the  heat  of  the 
sun  is  strong,  can  pass  the  night  in  sleep  and  inactivity,  when 
but  little  shielded  from  the  bitterness  of  the  weather  in  March, 
that  month,  which  in  New  England  is  with  ghastly  inappro- 
priateness  called  the  first  month  of  spring.  It  is  also  wonder- 
ful that,  whereas  in  midwinter  most  birds  sleep  fourteen  or  fif- 
teen hours  out  of  twenty-four,  and  pass  only  nine  or  ten  in  ex- 
ercise, in  the  latter  part  of  June,  when  the  longest  days  of  the 
year  occur,  they  require  little  more  than  half  that  amount  of 
rest  to  counterbalance  the  fatigue  of  at  least  sixteen  hours' 
labor.  I  have  known  Robins  to  awake  and  to  begin  their  daily 
duties  before  half-past  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  to  be 
still  moving  about  after  eight  in  the  evening ;  at  that  season 
of  the  year,  moreover,  when  the  male  must  provide  for  his 
young  as  well  .as  for  himself.  In  the  case  of  many  birds, 
either  the  male  or  the  female  sits  on  the  nest,  whilst  the  other 
forages,  but  I  have  known  instances  in  which  the  male  never 
sat  on  his  nest,  so  that  all  the  active  duties  in  the  care  of  his 
family  devolved  upon  him. 

The  Robins  continue  to  come  from  the  South  until  the  first 
of  April,  and  during  the  greater  part  of  that  month  are  in- 
clined to  be  gregarious,  but  they  finally  separate,  and  many 
begin  to  build ;  many  waiting,  however,  until  May,  or  even 
June.  As  is  well  known,  in  the  cultivated  parts  of  the  country 
they  do  not  often  retire  to  the  woods  (except  in  winter),  pre- 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  48 

ferring  to  remain  in  open  lands,  in  the  neighborhood  of  man, 
and  about  cultivated  estates,  and  are  so  little  wild  as  to  inhabit 
Boston  Common  and  other  equally  frequented  places.  In  the 
country,  the}''  pass  the  summer  in  villages  and  such  other 
haunts  as  I  have  described,  gathering  into  flocks  in  the  latter 
part  of  August,  and  journe3ring  to  warmer  climates  in  Septem- 
ber or  October.  Robins  are  in  some  parts  of  the  State  so 
plentiful,  that  in  May  sixty  of  their  nests,  containing  eggs, 
were  found  in  an  area  of  fifteen  acres.  Had  Massachusetts 
then  been  populated  by  these  thrushes  in  that  proportion  of 
parent-birds  to  an  acre,  it  would  have  contained  nearly  40,- 
000,000  of  them,  whereas  I  suppose  that  it  actually  contained 
less  than  1,000,000. 

To  those  who  consider  Robins  either  useless  or  injurious  to 
man  the  following  remarks  on  the  nature  of  their  food  may  be 
of  interest.  In  winter  and  in  the  early  part  of  spring,  they 
feed  chiefly  upon  berries,  such  as  those  of  the  barberry,  poison- 
ous "ivy,"  etc.,  but  as  soon  as  the  frost  is  expelled  from  the 
ground,  they  begin  their  attacks  upon  the  earthworms,  and  con- 
stantly renew  them  throughout  the  summer  and  in  September, 
wherever  earthworms  are  abundant.  One  may  often  see  Robins 
gathered  on  a  lawn,  particularly  after  hard  showers,  eagerly 
engaged  in  unearthing  their  prey,  now  running  along  so  quickly 
that  it  is  almost  impossible  to  detect  the  motion  of  their  feet 
(which,  in  fact,  is  not  hopping,  but  walking),  now  stopping, 
and,  having  cocked  their  heads  to  one  side  that  their  ears  may 
be  near  the  ground,  listening  intently,  then  passing  on,  or 
perhaps  stopping,  and  with  two  or  three  vigorous  strokes  of 
their  bills,  pulling  out  the  worms,  which  are  soon  disposed  of. 
When  they  fail  to  secure  their  prey,  after  a  few  bold  "  digs," 
they  generally  move  on  and  do  not  make  any  further  attempt 
to  obtain  it.  They  make  extensive  raids  upon  cherries  "  and 
strawberries,"  when  ripe,  and  feed  upon  ripe  pears  and  apples, 
especially  in  autumn,  generally  meddling  with  these  latter  fruits 
when  fallen  to  the  ground,  and  not  when  on  the  trees.  In  re- 
turn for  these  robberies,  they  destroy  innumerable  "  cut-worms  " 
and  other  injurious  creatures  of  the  same  kind,  and  confer,  in 


44  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

this  way,  great  benefits  upon  farmers  and  fruit-growers,  for  they 
are  much  more  dependent  upon  the  flesh  of  insects  than  upon 
other  food.  I  think  that  there  is  no  doubt  that  between  fifty  and 
a  hundred  Robins  eat  a  million  worms  and  injurious  caterpillars, 
if  not  more,  during  their  annual  sojourn  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Boston.  Professor  Treadwell  has  recorded  the  instance  of  a 
young  Robin  in  confinement,  who  ate  in  twelve  hours  140  pe?*  cent. 
of  his  own  weight,  and  consumed  fourteen  feet  of  earthworms. 

The  Robins  possess  greater  powers  of  flight  than  do  the  other 
thrushes,  and  can  fly  far  and  rapidly,  often  moving  through  the 
air  at  a  considerable  height  above  the  ground,  particularly  when 
migrating.  They  have  a  habit  of  jerking  their  tail,  which  the 
"  wood  thrushes  "  do  not  possess,  and  which  is  particularly 
noticeable  when  they  utter-their  notes  of  alarm.  They  are  not 
brave,  with  individual  exceptions,  but  are  easily  frightened, 
particularly  when  sitting  on  their  nests,  and  yet  they  are  by 
no  means  shy,  and  frequent  familiarly  the  neighborhood  of  man. 

(d).  The  Robins  have  besides  their  song,  and  a  very  faint 
whistle  like  the  Cedar-bird's  lisp,  but  one  note,  which  is  con- 
stantly varied,  usually  being  in  the  winter,  early  spring,  and  fall, 
more  dreary  than  in  the  summer,  when  it  is  sometimes  merely 
a  chirp,  though  at  other  times  it  is  uttered  in  a  tone  of  excite- 
ment or  vehemence  and  rapidly  repeated.  The  cry  of  the 
young  is  somewhat  harsher  than  that  of  the  mature  birds,  who 
are  very  pleasant  singers,  and  often  warble  a  cheerful,  ener- 
getic song,  consisting  of  a  few  monotonous  notes,  which  are 
repeated  with  some  little  variation,  chiefly  in  the  morning  and 
at  dusk,  in  spring  or  summer. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  eventually  the  American  people  will 
become  as  fond  of  the  American  Robins,  as  the  English  are  of 
their  smaller  "Robin  Red-breasts,"  whose  name  our  Pilgrim 
Fathers  bestowed  upon  the  Thrushes  of  this  country,  now  so 
common  and  familiar  to  us. 

(G)    NVEVIUS.     Varied  Thrush.     Oregon  Robin. 
(One  specimen  of  this   bird,  whose   proper   habitat  is   the 
Pacific  Slope,  has  been  taken  at  Ipswich,  Mass.,  in  December.) 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  45 

(a).  9-10  inches  long  ;  slate-color.  Beneath,  orange-brown. 
Band  across  the  breast,  black.  Under  tail-coverts,  white.  9 
duller. 

(6).  The  eggs  of  this  species  measure  about  1/15  X  '80 
of  an  inch,  and  are  greenish  blue,  darkly  spotted. 

(c).  Its  habits  are  presumabty  much  like  those  of  our 
Robin. 

(d).  "From  this  bird  it  may  be  readily  distinguished  by 
the  difference  of  its  notes,  which  are  louder,  sharper,  and  de- 
livered with  greater  rapidity."  Dr.  Cooper  "describes  the 
song  as  consisting  of  five  or  six  notes  in  a  minor  key,  and  in 
a  scale  regularly  descending." 

II.     MIMUS  i 

(A)    POLYG;OTTUS.     Mocking  Bird. 

(A  very  rare,  or  almost  accidental  summer-visitor  to  south- 
ern New  England.) 

(a).  9-10  inches  long.  Above,  rather  light  ashy  gray. 
Beneath,  white.  Wings,  and  tail  dark,  with  conspicuous  white 
patches. 

(6).  The  nest  is  built  near  the  ground,  often  in  a  conspic- 
uous situation.  Audubon  describes  it  as  "  coarsely  construct- 
ed on  the  outside,  being  there  composed  of  dried  sticks  of 
briars,  withered  leaves  of  trees,  and  grasses,  mixed  with  wool. 
Internally  it  is  finished  with  fibrous  roots  disposed  in  a  circu- 
lar form,  but  carelessly  arranged."  An  egg  before  me  measures 
I'OO  X  '75  of  an  inch,  and  is  of  a  very  light  dull  blue,  rather 
coarsely  spotted  with  lilac  and  rather  faint  purplish  or  reddish 
umber. 

(c).  So  many  Mocking  Birds  have  recently  been  captured 
in  New  England  and  Massachusetts  itself,  that  they  cannot 
longer  be  well  considered  escaped  cage-birds.  They  must 
therefore  be  ranked  here  as  very  rare  summer-residents.  Since, 
however,  their  presence  is  almost  exceptional,  since  their  hab- 
its are  much  like  those  of  the  common  Cat-bird,  since  their 
powers  of  mimicry  and  song  are  well-known,  and  finally, 
since  I  am  personally  unacquainted  with  their  natural  mode  of 


46  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

life,  I  have  thought  it  best  not  to  attempt  their  biography  in 
this  volume.  For  an  enthusiastic  and  splendid  description,  I 
refer  my  readers  to  the  second  volume  of  Wilson's  Ornithology. 

(B)   CAROLINENSIS.     Cat-bird. 

(A  common  summer-resident.) 

(a).  8J-9  inches  long.  Slate-colored.  Crown  and  tail, 
black.  Under  tail-coverts,  chestnut-red. 

(6).  The  nest  of  the  Cat-bird,  which  in  Massachusetts  is 
usually  finished  in  the  last  week  of  May,  is  generally  placed 
in  a  bush,  thicket,  or  briar,  and  is  composed  outwardly  of 
sticks  (and  sometimes  one  or  two  rags  intermixed),  being 
lined  with  strips  of  bark  from  the  grape-vine  or  cedar,  dead 
leaves,  rootlets,  and  other  things  of  the  same  sort.  The  eggs 
of  each  set  are  3-5,  usually  four,  of  a  fine  dark  green,  bluish- 
tinted,  and  measure  about  -95  X  '70  of  an  inch.  Two  broods 
are  sometimes  raised  in  the  summer. 

(c).  The  Cat-birds  are  in  summer  very  common  in  the  old 
"Bay  State,"  and  are  familiar  to  many  of  its  inhabitants,  usual- 
ly appearing  in  their  haunts  here  in  the  first  week  of  May, 
some  returning  to  the  South  in  September,  others  waiting  until 
the  middle  of  October.  Though  very  numerous  in  the  culti- 
vated districts  of  Massachusetts,  they  are  rather  rare  in  the 
northern  parts  of  New  England  ;  and  yet  u  they  have  been 
met  with  in  Arctic  countries,"  as  have  Robins  also.  They  for 
the  most  part  prefer  the  neighborhood  of  man  and  of  culti- 
vated soil,  though  one  may  often  find  their  nests  in  wild  spots, 
far  from  any  house,  since  they  roam  over  all  the  open  country. 
Though  never  properly  gregarious,  individuals  do  the  work  of 
a  host  in  destroying  injurious  insects  ;  eating  the  caterpillars, 
which  they  find  in  orchards,  shrubbery,  bushes,  and  thickets, 
and  feeding  upon  "  cut- worms,"  which  they  obtain  in  ploughed 
lands.  This  fare  they  vary  by  occasionally  catching  winged 
insects,  as  they  fly  through  the  air,  but  more  often  by  eating 
berries  of  various  kinds,  chiefly  such  as  grow  in  swamps. 

From  the  nature  of  their  usual  employment,  they  rarely  have 
occasion  to  perch  very  far  above  the  ground,  or  to  take  other 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  47 

than  short  flights,  since  they  pass  most  of  their  time  in  shrub- 
bery,— when  frightened,  generally  taking  refuge  in  a  thicket,  or 
a  clump  of  bushes,  so  as  to  be  effectually  lost  to  sight. 
Though  not  habitually  bold,  they  are  often  brave  in  resenting 
intrusions  on  their  nests,  giving  a  "  warm"  reception  to  cats, 
driving  away  or  killing  snakes,  and  occasionally  flying  at  man. 
Two  things  are  easily  observable  in  the  habits  of  these  thrushes, 
namely  :  When  on  the  ground,  they  can  move  about  with  agil- 
ity, and  when  perched,  they  often  flirt  their  tails,  or,  when 
singing,  depress  them  in  a  peculiar  manner,  which  renders  their 
attitude  rather  ludicrous.  In  autumn,  before  their  departure, 
the  Cat-birds  become  rather  reserved  and  shy,  and  I  have 
sometimes  been  able  to  detect  their  presence  only  by  occasion- 
ally hearing  their  characteristic  cry,  or  seeing  them  fly  into 
"  scrub  "  or  other  shrubbery,  with  their  broad  tails  expanded 
to  their  fullest  extent,  as  they  crossed  some  road  or  path  and 
dove  into  a  thicket  beyond.  Their  habits  in  the  fall  of  the 
year  illustrate  the  fact,  that  in  spring  most  birds  can  easily  be 
detected,  if  even  carelessly  sought  for  at  the  proper  season, 
because  of  their  song,  their  comparatively  little  shyness,  and 
those  bright  tints,  which,  in  the  case  of  many  birds,  are 
exchanged  for  duller  tints,  when  the  summer  either  is  over 
or  draws  near  to  its  end  ;  whereas  in  autumn,  on  the  other 
hand,  many  birds  quietly,  and  in  silence  seldom  broken,  con- 
tinue to  spend  their  days  about  us,  and  to  migrate  through 
those  places  where  they  were  conspicuous  in  spring,  escaping 
our  observation  through  their  greater  shyness  and  retirement. 
There  are  two  other  partial  explanations  of  the  actually  and 
apparently  greater  abundance  of  certain  birds,  when  passing 
to  the  North  through  Eastern  Massachusetts  than  when  re- 
turning,— which  are,  that  in  the  autumnal  migrations  many 
species  for  the  most  part  choose  a  more  inland  route,  and 
that  in  spring,  the  warblers,  for  instance,  are  prompted  to 
their  long  journeys  by  a  sudden  outburst  or  a  gradual  ap- 
proach of  genuine  warmth,  such  as  gives  life  to  the  insects 
on  which  they  feed  ;  whereas  in  fall,  unless  startled  by  a  sud- 
den visitation  of  cold,  they  gradually  leave  their  summer- 


•48  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

homes,  and  by  degrees  straggle  {if  I  may  use  the  expression) 
to  their  winter-haunts.7 

(d).  The  song  of  the  Cat-birds,  which  is  very  much  like 
that  of  the  Brown  Thrush,  is  in  some  respects  a  striking  one, 
for  the  tone  and  accent  are  very  marked  ;  and,  though  some  of 
the  notes  are  rather  harsh  or  uncouth,  others  are  very  mellow. 
This  song  is  not  a  definite  or  limited  one,  but  is  repeated  for 
several  minutes  together,  from  the  time  of  their  arrival  until 
the  summer  is  nearly  over,  especially  at  evening ;  but  it  is  not 
unfrequently  marred  or  interrupted  by  the  mimicry  of  others' 
notes,  for,  though  the  Cat-birds  do  not  possess  the  wonderful 
powers  of  the  Mocking  Birds,  yet  they  are  clever  mimics,  imi- 
tating Quail,  Pewees,  Least  Flycatchers,  and  even  hens,  with 
great  exactness.  I  have  been  more  than  once  deluded  by  these 
musicians  into  the  belief  that  I  distinctly  heard  birds,  whose 
presence  I  justly  but  little  expected  in  the  places,  where  I  have 
thus  been  momentarily  deceived.  The  Cat-birds  have  a  mellow 
chuck,  a  chattered  alarm-note,  which  I  am  inclined  to  think  that 
they  seldom  use,  and  a  familiar  harsh  ciy,  which  resembles  the 
"mew"  of  a  cat,  whence  their  common  name,  and  also,  prob- 
ably, that'  instinctive  but  irrational  antipathy,  which  many 
boys  entertain  for  this  bird. 

III.    HARPORHYNCHUS 

(A)  RUFUS.  Brown  Thrush.  " Song  Thrush"  "Thrasher" 
"  Mavis." 

(A  common  summer-resident  in  southern  New  England.) 

(a).  About  eleven  inches  long.  Above,  bright  reddish- 
brown  ;  below,  white  (or  tinged),  streaked  with  dark  brown,  but 
throat  unmarked.  Wings  with  white  bars.  Tail  very  long. 

(6).  The  nest  is  placed  in  a  bush  (occasionally  in  a  tree, 
such  as  the  cedar)  or  on  the  ground  ;  never  far  from  it.  When 
placed  in  a  bush,  sticks  are  generally  used  in  its  construction  ; 
in  all  situations  the  nest  being  usually  composed,  wholly  or 


7  It  is  hoped  that  the  author  will  be  excused  for  these  digressive  remarks  by 
those  persons  who  are  well  acquainted  with  the  facts  mentioned. 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  49 

partly,  of  strips  of  cedar-bark  and  the  like,  together  with  dead 
leaves  and  similar  substances.  The  eggs  are  dirty  white,  cov- 
ered with  very  numerous  and  minute  light  brown  markings,  and 
average  1'05  X  '80  of  an  inch,  or  more.  One  specimen  is 
slightly  tinged  with  green.  In  Eastern  Massachusetts,  two 
sets  of  these  eggs  (containing  four  or  five)  are  laid  every  year, 
the  first  of  which  commonly  appears  in  the  last  week  of  May, 
though  sometimes  exceptionally  in  the  second  week. 

(c).  Not  only  do  the  notes  of  the  Brown  Thrush  bear  a 
strong  resemblance  to  those  of  the  Cat-bird,  but  their  habits 
also  correspond  closely  to  those  of  that  bird.  The  "  Song 
Thrushes"  reach  the  neighborhood  of  Boston,  more  often  in 
the  first  than  in  the  second  week  of  May,  or  perhaps  most  often 
in  the  last  week  of  April,,  and  are  common  summer-residents 
throughout  southern  New  England,  many  not  withdrawing 
until  October.  They  are  rare,  however,  in  Northern  Vermont, 
New  Hampshire,  and  Maine.  Though  on  their  arrival  one  may 
often  see  them  on  cultivated  estates  and  near  houses,  yet  they 
almost  invariably,  so  far  as  I  know,  pass  their  summers  in  that 
species  of  shrubbery  known  as  u  scrub,"  or  in  low  cedar- 
woods,  where  underbrush  abounds,  and  are  much  less  familiar 
toward  man  than  are  their  relations  the  Cat-birds.  They  feed 
upon  berries,  caterpillars,  wasps,  or  beetles,  and,  while  en- 
gaged in  procuring  them,  may  often  be  seen  moving  from  bush 
to  bush,  with  a  characteristic  flight,  and  with  their  long  tails 
so  outspread  as  to  be  very  conspicuous.  When  they  perch,  the 
"  Thrashers  "  flirt  or  depress  their  tails  in  the  manner  of  the 
last  species,  to  whom  I  have  already  referred  ;  and  they  like- 
wise are  very  bold  in  the  defence  of  their  nest,  often  hissing 
with  the  vehemence  of  a  pugnacious  goose.  They  frequently 
have  refused  to  leave  their  nests  on  my  approach,  unless  to  fly 
at  me  in  a  way,  which  used  to  frighten  me  heartily,  when 
young.  They  are  so  brave  and  at  the  same  time  so  unsociable 
as  rarely  or  never  to  congregate,  either  for  the  sake  of  mutual 
protection  or  of  companionship.  They  may  be  seen,  however, 
in  pairs,  rustling  loudly  among  the  dead  leaves,  or  hopping 
along  the  ground  with  remarkable  agility.  I  have  called  them 
5 


50  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

"brave,"  and  yet,  when  their  young  are  reared,  they  resume 
their  natural  shyness,  avoid  man,  and  on  his  approach  disap- 
pear in  the  surrounding  shrubbery  ;  but  the  instinct  of  mother- 
hood can  inspire  bravery  in  those  habitually  timid,  when 
emergencies  occur  which  require  courage. 

(d).  The  loud  chuck  of  the  Brown  Thrushes,  their  indescrib- 
able note  of  alarm  or  displeasure,  and  their  song  are  all,  as 
has  been  intimated,  much  like  those  of  the  Cat-bird.  Their 
song  is  very  pleasing,  being  loud,  emphatic,  and  wonderfully 
varied  ;  so  much  so  that  it  is  sometimes  well-nigh  impossible 
to  believe  that  one  bird  can  produce  such  widely  different 
notes,  but,  though  called  "mockers,"  the  "Thrashers"  never 
mimic  other  creatures,  so  far  as  I  have  observed.  Often,  if 
interrupted,  when  singing,  they  softly  repeat  the  syllables  "  tu- 
whit,  tu-whit,"  and  immediately  resume  their  song.  In  May, 
at  evening,  I  have  often  listened  to  them,  when,  having  chosen 
a  high  perch,  they  have  sung  sweetly  and  loudly ;  and  it  was 
when  thinking  of  such  singing  that  Wilson  wrote  :  "  The  human 
being,  who,  amidst  such  scenes,  and  in  such  seasons  of  rural 
serenity  and  delight,  can  pass  them  with  cold  indifference,  and 
even  contempt,  I  sincerely  pity ;  for  abject  must  that  heart  be, 
and  callous  those  feelings,  and  depraved  that  taste,  which 
neither  the  charms  of  nature,  nor  the  melody  of  innocence,  nor 
the  voice  of  devotion  of  gratitude  or  devotion  reach." 

§2.     Saxicolidse.    Stone-chats  and  bluebirds.    (See  §1.) 

I.     SIALIA 

(A)    SIALIS.     (Eastern)  Blue  Bird. 

(Very  common  in  Massachusetts  during  the  warmer  half  of 
the  year.) 

(a).  6£-7  inches  long.  Above,  bright  blue  (in  females,  im- 
mature specimens,  and  specimens  in  winter-plumage,  often  in- 
terrupted by  dull-colored  patches) .  Belly  white  ;  other  under 
parts  bright,  ruddy  brown  or  chestnut.  9  usually  much  duller 
or  paler  than  $ . 

(6).  The  nest  is  generally  placed  in  the  hole  of  a  tree  or 
post,  or  in  a  bird-box.  The  eggs,  which  measure  about  -85  X 


OF   NEW  ENGLAND.  51 

•62  of  an  inch,  are  light  blue  (very  rarely  white).  Two  sets 
of  4-6  are  usually  laid  each  year  in  this  State,  of  which  the 
first  commonly  appears  about  the  first  of  May. 

(c).  The  familiar  Blue  Birds  are  the  first  birds  to  come 
from  their  winter-homes  to  the  Eastern  States  ;  for  they  reach 
the  neighborhood  of  Boston,  invariably  no  later  than  March, 
and  sometimes  in  February.  They  have  once  reached  it,  ac- 
cording to  Dr.  Brewer,  on  the  twenty-eighth  day  of  January, 
though  never  known  to  pass  the  winter  here.  In  summer  they 
are  very  common  and  generally  well-known  throughout  south- 
ern New  England,  though  comparatively  rare  to  the  northward, 
as  in  the  case  with  many  other  of  our  common  birds.  Whilst 
migrating,  they  usually  fly  very  high,  and  one  may  often  be 
apprised  of  their  coming,  before  seeing  them,  by  hearing  their 
warbled  note,  which  they  frequently  utter  when  on  wing.  By 
the  middle  of  March  they  become  quite  common,  and  may  be 
seen  in  small  companies,  perched  on  telegraph-wires,  or  ridge- 
poles of  barns,  on  fences  or  trees,  occasionally  calling  to  one 
another,  or  moving  from  place  to  place.  Cheerless  as  the 
season  then  is,  they  contrive  to  exist,  though  naturally  insec- 
tivorous, until  warmer  weather  causes  an  abundance  of  insects  ; 
and  they  even  mate  during  the  cold  weather,  with  which  spring 
is  inaugurated  in  this  part  of  the  world.  In  April,  they  gather 
various  warm  materials,  and  build  their  nests  by  placing  them 
in  a  bird-box,  or  at  the  bottom  of  a  hole  in  some  tree  ;  and  in 
these  nests  their  eggs  are  laid  about  the  first  of  May,  when  but 
few  other  of  our  birds  have  begun  incubation.  The  haunts  of 
the  Blue  Birds  are  well-known,  and  few  naturalists  can  pass 
through  farms,  orchards,  gardens,  or  fields,  or  travel  over  roads 
through  cultivated  lands  and  villages,  without  associating  with 
them  these  companions  of  every  student  of  nature.  The  Blue 
Birds  are  not  only  pleasant  friends,  but  are  also  useful  laborers 
in  behalf  of  agriculturists,  as  is  proved  by  the  nature  of  their 
food,  and  the  manner  in  which  they  obtain  it.  Though  in  the 
early  spring,  and  more  so  in  fall,  various  berries  afford  them 
nourishment,  yet  in  May,  and  throughout  the  summer,  they 
feed  quite  exclusively  upon  insects,  chiefly  upon  beetles,  many 


52  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

of  which  are  injurious.  As  they  often  rear  two  or  even  three 
broods  of  young  during  their  annual  sojourn  in  Massachusetts, 
they  necessarily  destroy  an  incalculable  number  of  pests  (at 
the  rate  of  between  fifty  and  a  hundred  thousand  to  a  pair  in 
four  months) .  So  soon  as  the  young  of  the  first  brood  are  old 
enough  to  leave  the  nest,  the  female  soon  begins  again  to  lay, 
while  the  male  takes  charge  of  the  young,  teaching  them  how 
to  catch  their  prey.  He  may  often  be  seen  to  perch  in  some 
open  spot,  and,  flying  into  the  air  (much  in  the  manner  of  fty- 
catchers),  to  seize  some  passing  insect,  or,  pausing  with 
rapidly  quivering  wings,  to  snap  up  some  grasshopper  or 
beetle  from  the  grass,  immediately  returning  to  his  perch. 
Though  the  Blue  Birds  have  been  known  to  take  long  flights, 
when  traveling,  yet  they  rarely  fly  far  at  other  times,  and, 
though  when  journeying  they  move  through  the  air  at  a  con- 
siderable height,  at  other  times  they  usually  remain  rather  near 
the  ground,  but  they  never,  as  a  rule,  stand  on  it,  except  occa- 
sionally when  collecting  bits  of  straw  or  the  like,  with  which 
to  build  their  nests.  In  autumn  they  gather  in  small  flocks, 
and  in  October  generally  depart  from  this  State,  though  a  few 
linger  until  November. 

(d).  The  only  song  of  the  Blue  Birds  is  a  repetition  of  a 
"  sadly-pleasing "  but  cheerful  warble  of  two  or  three  notes, 
tinged  (so  to  speak)  by  a  mournful  tone.  This  they  often 
give  utterance  to  when  on  wing,  as  well  as  when  perched.  In 
autumn,  and  when  with  their  young,  their  usual  note  is  a  single 
sad  whistle,  but  they  occasionally  use  a  peculiar  chatter  as  a 
call-note  to  their  young,  whose  notes  differ  from  those  of  their 
parents. 

I  shall  here  close  my  account  of  these  birds,  deservedly 
popular  as  forerunners  of  spring,  companions  of  man,  and 
cheerful,  beneficial  laborers,  by  quoting  a  few  lines  from  one 
of  Alexander  Wilson's  poems. 

la  Autumn 
"The  BJue-bird,  forsaken,  yet  true  to  his  home, 

"  Still  lingers,  and  looks  for  a  milder  to-morrow, 
"  Till  forc'd  by  the  horrors  of  winter  to  roam, 

"He  sings  his  adieu  in  a  lone  note  of  sorrow. 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  53 

"  While  spring's  lovely  season,  serene,  dewy,  warm, 
"The  green  face  of  earth,  and  the  pure  blue  of  heav'n, 

"  Or  love's  native  music  have  influence  to  charm, 
"Or  sympathy's  glow  to  our  feelings  is8  giv'n, 

•'  Still  dear  to  each  bosom  the  Blue-bird  shall  be; 

"  His  voice,  like  the  thrillings  of  hope,  is  a  treasure; 
"For,  thro'  bleakest  storms  if  a  calm  he  but  see, 

"He  comes  to  remind  us  of  sunshine  and  pleasure  I " 

NOTE.  The  European  Stone-chat  or  "  Wheat-ear"  (Saxicola 
cenanthe)  occurs  in  Northern  North  America  as  a  wanderer, 
and  is  included  by  Dr.  Coues  in  his  "  List  of  the  Birds  of  New 
England."  In  his  "Key"  he  describes  it  as  follows  (the 
length  being  5-6  inches?):  "Adult: —  ashy  gray;  forehead, 
superciliary  line  and  under  parts  white,  latter  often  brownish- 
tinted  ;  upper  tail  coverts  white,  wings  and  tail  black,  latter 
with  most  of  the  feathers  white  for  half  their  length  ;  line  from 
nostril  to  eye,  and  broad  band  on  side  of  head,  black ;  bill  and 
feet,  black ;  young  everywhere  cinnamon-brown,  paler  below ; 


§3.  Sylviidse.    (See  §1.)  • 
I.   REGULUS 

(A)  CALENDULUS.  Ruby-crowned  "  Wren"  Ruby-crowned 
"  Kinglet."* 

(Common  in  Massachusetts  in  April  and  October.) 

(a).  4-4£  inches  long.  Above,  greenish  olive  ;  below,  white, 
impure  and  yellow-tinged.  Wings  with  two  white  bars,  and 
(like  the  tail)  with  light  edgings.  Eye-ring,  impure  white. 
Crown  in  mature  specimens  with  a  scarlet  patch,  wanting  in 
immature  birds  (and  females  ? 10)  ;  moreover,  in  some  speci- 
mens, small  and  orange-colored. 

(6).   I  believe  that  there  is  no  record  of  the  nest  and  eggs 


8  In  the  original  "are,"  evidently  through  inadrertance. 

9  These  birds  have  been  called  "  Kinglets  "  from  their  scientific  name  (Regulus), 
meaning  "little  king." 

10 1  have  seen  in  spring  pairs  of  these  birds,  highly  colored,  and  apparently  fully 
matured,  of  whom  the  males  had  a  brilliant  carmine  patch,  and  the  females  no 
patch  at  all,  or  none  evident. 


54  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

having  ever  been  discovered.  They  are  probably  like  those  of 
allied  British  species,  and  of  the  Golden-crowned  "Wren" 
(B,  b). 

(c).  The  little  Ruby-crowned  "  Wrens,"  almost  the  smallest 
of  North  American  birds,  with  the  exception  of  the  humming- 
birds, habitually  pass  the  summer  in  the  countries,  which  lie  to 
the  northward  of  New  England.11  They  reach  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Boston,  when  traveling  from  the  North,  in  the  first  or 
second  week  of  October,  and  are  quite  common  throughout 
that  month,  a  few  lingering  until  the  middle  of  November,  and 
still  fewer  occasionally  passing  the  winter  here.  In  autumn, 
regardless  of  the  cold  frosts,  they  always  seem  to  be  happily 
employed,  either  in  pairs  or  singly,  in  ransacking  trees  in 
woods  or  orchards  and  elsewhere,  for  the  small  insects  and 
eggs,  which  lie  concealed  beneath  the  bark,  and  in  its  crevices. 
They  can  but  rarely  be  detected  here  in  winter,  since  they  com- 
monly spend  that  season  in  the  indefinite  "  South."  In  spring 
they  generally  return  to  us  about  the  middle  of  April,  and  are 
very  common  until  the  middle  of  May  or  earlier,  when  they 
totally  disappear.  They  may  be  found  in  orchards  or  wood- 
land, and  about  cultivated  estates,  everywhere  leading  the 
same  busy,  restless  life,  which  they  never  for  a  moment  for- 
sake, while  daylight  lasts.  They  may  be  seen  now  clinging 
to  some  cluster  of  opening  leaves  or  budding  flowers,  perhaps 
head  downwards,  now  hopping  to  a  neighboring  twig,  now  fly- 
ing into  the  air  to  dexterously  seize  a  passing  insect,  then 
calling  to  their  mates  if  they  be  near,  or  uttering  their  sweet 
and  joyous  song.  Though  not  gregarious,  they  are  of  a  soci- 
able disposition  toward  other  birds,  and  in  fall  often  associate 
with  Chickadees,  nuthatches,  creepers,  "  Gold-crests,"  and 
Downy  Woodpeckers,  and  in  spring  with  various  migrating 
warblers,  if  there  be  any  to  join,  whose  habits  are  at 'all  like 


11  Wilson,  however,  says :  "  From  the  circumstance  of  having  found  them  here 
in  summer,  I  am  persuaded  that  they  occasionally  breed  in  Pennsylvania."  Mr. 
Charles  C.  Abbott,  in  speaking  of  their  breeding  in  New  Jersey,  says  that  "  at  least 
we  have  as  evidence  of  this  their  presence  in  June,  and  also  that  of  their  young 
in  August." 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  55 

their  own.  They  are  not  usually  shy  or  suspicious,  but  are  so 
engrossed  in  their  important  occupations  that  they  are  easily 
approached,  and  are  not  disturbed,  when  closely  watched. 
They  have  but  little  time  to  think  of  danger,  and  continue 
their  career  of  constant  activity  (interrupted  only  by  darkness 
and  incubation),  apparently  regarding  all  living  things  as 
creatures  innocent  as  they  themselves. 

(d).  In  autumn  and  winter  their  only  note  is  a  feeble  lisp. 
In  spring,  besides  occasionally  uttering  an  indescribable  queru- 
lous sound,  and  a  harsh  "  grating  "  note,  which  belongs  exclu- 
sively to  that  season,  the  Ruby-crowned  "  Wrens  "  sing  ex- 
tremely well,  and  louder  than  such  small  birds  seem  capable 
of  singing.  Their  song  commonly  begins  with  a  few  clear 
whistles^  followed  by  a  short,  very  sweet,  and  complicated 
warble,  and  ending  with  notes  like  the  syllables  tii-we-we,  tu-we- 
we,  tu-we-we.  These  latter  are  often  repeated  separately,  as  if 
the  birds  had  no  time  for  the  prelude,  or  are  sometimes  merely 
prefaced  by  a  few  rather  shrill  notes  with  a  rising  inflection. 

It  is  astonishing,  under  existing  circumstances,  that  neither 
nest  nor  egg  of  the  Ruby-crowned  "Wrens  "  has  been  discov- 
ered, or  at  least  described.  It  is  probable,  and  on  their  ac- 
count it  is  to  be  hoped,  that  they  may  long  continue  to  rear 
their  young  in  happiness  and  peace,  undisturbed  by  naturalists, 
in  the  immense  forests  of  the  North. 

(B)  SATRAPA.  Golden-crowned  "  Wren."  Golden-crowned 
"  Kinglet."  "  Gold-crest." 

(Moderately  common  from  October  until  April  or  May.) 

(a).  Like  calendulus  (A),  except  on  the  head.  Crown  with 
a  yellow  patch  (enclosing  in  ^  a  scarlet  one),  bordered  in 
front  and  on  the  sides  by  a  continuous  black  line. 

(6).  The  nest  of  these  birds  has  never,  so  far  as  I  know, 
been  discovered  by  any  naturalist,  previously  to  this  year 
(1875).  Wilson,  indeed,  thinking  that  the  English  "gold- 
crest  "  was  identical  with  ours,  which  is  not  the  case,  quoted 
a  description  of  the  nest  and  eggs  of  that  bird  from  Dr. 


56  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

Latham.12  I  therefore  have  the  honor  of  recording  the  discov- 
ery of  the  nest  of  the  Golden-crowned  "Wren,"  which  I  made 
this  summer,  on  the  sixteenth  day  of  July,  in  a  forest  of  the 
White  Mountains,  which  consisted  chiefly  of  evergreens  and 
white  birches.  Having  several  times  observed  the  bird  there, 
I  at  last  detected  them  in  the  act  of  conveying  food  to  their 
young,  and  soon  tracked  them  to  their  nest.  This  hung  four 
feet  above  the  ground,  from  a  spreading  hemlock-bough,  to  the 
twigs  of  which  it  was  firmly  fastened  ;  it  was  globular,  with 
an  entrance  in  the  upper  part,  and  was  composed  of  hanging 
moss,  ornamented  with  bits  of  dead  leaves,  and  lined  chiefly 
with  feathers.  It  contained  six  young  birds,  but  much  to  my 
regret  no  eggs. 

(c).  The  Golden-crowned  "Wrens"  come  to  Massachusetts 
from  their  summer-homes  in  the  latter  part  of  October  or  in 
November,  and,  though  a  majority  of  them  move  on  to  the 
South,  many  pass  the  winter  here,  and  continue  their  residence 
in  this  State  until  April  or  even  the  second  week  of  May. 
During  the  winter  they  are  for  the  most  part  gregarious,  and 
may  often  be  seen  in  small  flocks,  moving  about  among  trees  ; 
more  often  among  those  (such  as  birches)  which  spring  up  be- 
side wood-paths  than  those  growing  elsewhere.  But  they  also 
visit  cultivated  lands  and  orchards,  generally  avoiding  ever- 
greens (so  far  as  I  have  observed),  probably,  because  they  do 
not  readily  find  among  them,  in  cold  weather,  the  small  insects 
and  their  eggs,  which  infest  the  bark  of  other  trees,  and  upon 
which  they  chiefly  depend  for  food.13  I  have  always  found  them 
more  abundant  on  the  edges  of  lanes  through  our  woods  than  in 
other  places,  and  there  one  may  watch  them  scrambling  about 
from  twig  to  twig  and  from  tree  to  tree,  so  busily  engaged  as 
to  almost  ignore  one's  immediate  presence.  They  are  not  quite 
so  restless  as  the  Ruby-crowned  "  Wrens,"  but  are  equally  so- 


«  "  American  Ornithology,"  Vol.  I,  p.  127. 

13  The  nuthatches,  creepers,  and  titmice,  all  affect  the  pines  in  winter,  and  there- 
fore I  am  at  a  loss  to  explain  the  apparent  dislike  of  these  birds  to  those  trees  in 
that  season.  About  the  fact  I  do  not  think  myself  mistaken.  They  share  the 
Chickadee's  partiality  for  white  birches. 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  57 

ciable,  and  often  join  the  merry  Chickadees  and  their  follow- 
ers, in  pursuit  of  their  common  prey.  In  spring,  when  the 
cold  of  winter  has  become  somewhat  modified,  they  are  rather 
less  social,  roam  more  freely,  and  finally  move  northward,  their 
place  being  immediately  supplied  by  others,  who  have  been 
living  in  a  warmer  climate.  These  possess  habits  more  nearly 
akin  to  the  habits  of  the  Ruby-crowned  "  Wrens  "  than  those 
of  their  predecessors,  and  frequently  catch  insects  in  the  air, 
or  obtain  them  by  fluttering  before  some  opening  cluster  of 
leaves,  while  so  doing,  causing  their  wings  to  quiver  rapidly, 
1 '  and  often  exposing  the  golden  feathers  of  their  head,  which 
are  opened  and  shut  with  great  adroitness,"  which  they  also 
more  frequently  do  when  skipping  about  from  bough  to  bough. 
Many  pass  the  summer  in  Northern  Maine,  and  in  certain  parts 
of  the  White  Mountains,  but  none  breed  in  a  more  southern 
country,  unless  in  New  Jersey,  as  Dr.  Abbott  thinks  is  the 
case.  They  are  "  quite  common  at  Umbagog  in  June  ;"  "  and 
judging  from  the  condition  of  female  specimens  taken,  lay  their 
eggs  about  June  1st."  Messrs.  Maynard  and  Brewster  "  found 
several  pairs  in  the  thick  hemlock  woods,  that  evidently  had 
nests  in  the  immediate  vicinity." 

(d).  Beyond  an  occasional  weak  note,  or  a  cry  of  tsee-tsee- 
tsee,  the  Golden-crowned  "  Wrens "  are  usually  silent,  whilst 
staying  in  their  winter-homes,  except  on  the  approach  or  arri- 
val of  spring,  when  they  sometimes  give  utterance  to  a  twit- 
tered warble,  which  resembles  the  weaker  song-notes  of  the 
Chickadees.  In  their  summer-homes  they  have  a  song,  which 
Mr.  Maynard  has  described  as  "  a  series  of  low,  shrill  chirps, 
terminating  in  a  lisping  warble ; "  and,  when  with  their  young, 
they  twitter  constantly,  as  do  also  many  other  birds. 

NOTE. —  Cuvier's  "Kinglet"  (liegulus  Cuvieri)  is  a  source 
of  conjecture  to  all  modern  ornithologists.  It  was  obtained 
by  Audubon  near  the  banks  of  the  Schuylkill  River,  in  June, 
1812.  Only  one  specimen  was  taken,  which  differed  from  sat- 
rapa  in  having  the  crown-patch  entirely  vermilion  and  two 
black  stripes  on  each  side  of  the  head.  I  have  suspicions  of 
having  seen  this  species  in  New  England,  but  they  are  too 
vague  to  render  the  supposed  circumstance  probable. 


58  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 


II.   POLIOPTILA 

(A)   CLERULEA.     Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher. 

(A  very  rare  or  exceptional  summer-resident  in  New  England.) 

(a).  4-4£  inches  long.  "Clear  ashy  blue,  bluer  on  head; 
forehead,  and  line  over  eye,  black  (wanting  in  9  )  :  outer  tail 
feather  white."  Bill,  feet,  and  rest  of  the  tail,  black.  Under 
parts  (bluish)  white. 

(6).  "The  nest  is  placed  on  a  tree,  from  ten  to  fifty  feet 
above  the  ground,  and  is  cup-shaped,  firm,  but  small  and  neat." 
An  egg  in  my  collection  measures  -60X*48  of  an  inch,  and  is 
pale  greenish  blue,  dotted  with  reddish-brown  and  a  little 
obscure  lilac. 

(c)  (d) .  The  Blue-gray  Gnatcatchers  are  said  to  have  wan- 
dered to  Massachusetts,  but  their  usual  habitat  is  further  to 
the  southward.  They  are  insectivorous,  and  dart  "  about  from 
one  part  of  the  tree  to  another  with  hanging  wings  and  erected 
tail,  making  a  feeble  chirping,  tsee,  tsee,  no  louder  than  a 
mouse."  (Wilson.)  They  generally  hunt  "on  the  highest 
branches."  Mr.  Burroughs  says  of  this  bird  in  "Wake- Robin  : " 
"  Its  song  is  a  lisping,  chattering,  incoherent  warble,  now 
faintly  reminding  one  of  the  goldfinch,  now  of  a  miniature  cat- 
bird, then  of  a  tiny  yellow-hammer,  having  much  variety,  but 
no  unity,  and  little  cadence."  He  previously  remarks,  in  his 
charming  sketches,  that  "  in  form  and  manner  it  seems  almost 
a  duplicate  of  the  cat-bird,  on  a  small  scale.  It  mews  like  a 
young  kitten,  erects  its  tail,  flirts,  droops  its  wings,  goes  through 
a  variety  of  motions  when  disturbed  by  your  presence,  and  in 
many  ways  recalls  its  dusky  prototype." 

§  4.  The  ParidSD,  or  titmice,  together  with  the  two  next  fam- 
ilies, the  nuthatches  and  creepers,  form  a  natural,  plainly  col- 
ored group,  and  might  appropriately  be  called  "tree-gleaners." 
They  all  lead  an  active  life,  scrambling  about  among  trees  in 
search  of  insects  and  their  eggs,  but  never  flying  far,  though 
partially  migrant.  The  chickadees  not  unfrequently  alight  on 
the  ground,  and  often  hang  head  downwards,  but  they  never 


OF   NEW  ENGLAND.  59 

habitually  cling  to  the  trunk.  The  creepers,  on  the  other 
hand,  climb  much  like  woodpeckers,  confining  themselves  to 
the  trunks  or  larger  upright  limbs,  and  never  touch  the  earth ; 
while  the  nuthatches  in  their  habits  are  intermediate  between 
the  two.  As  regards  music,  however,  the  chickadees  are  in- 
termediate, for  the  nuthatches  are  wholly  unmusical,  while  the 
creepers  have  a  warbled  song.  They  all,  however,  agree  in 
building  a  nest  in  some  cavity,  usually  the  hole  of  a  tree,  and 
in  laying  small,  white,  spotted  eggs,  but  the  titmice  are  the 
most  prolific,  laying  in  one  set  always  more  than  five  eggs,  and 
sometimes  more  than  ten.  They  are  all  unsuspicious  and  soci- 
able, though,  in  Massachusetts,  only  the  chickadees  are  strictly 
gregarious.  The  three  families  are  all  partially  characterized 
as  follows  :  length  less  than  seven  inches  ;  bill  neither  hooked 
nor  notched ;  tarsi  scutellate ;  toes  not  completely  cleft ;  pri- 
maries ten,  the  first  short  or  spurious ;  tail-feathers  twelve. 
In  the  Paridce  the  bill  is  short,  stout,  pointed,  and  with  convex 
outlines,  the  nostrils  are  concealed,  the  tarsus  is  "longer  than 
the  middle  toe  and  claw,"  the  tail  is  long,  and  about  equal  to 
the  wings.  In  the  Sittidw  the  nostrils  are  likewise  concealed, 
but  the  bill  is  long,  rather  slender,  acute,  and  with  a  convex 
outline  beneath  only;  the  tail  is  short  (pi.  1,  fig.  5).  In  the 
Certhiidce  the  bill  is  slender  and  decurved,  the  nostrils  are  ex- 
posed, and  the  tail-feathers  are  stiff  and  pointed  (pi.  1,  fig.  6). 
All  the  creepers  and  titmice  of  North  America  belong  to  the 
typical  groups  or  subfamilies,  Certhunce  and  Parince. 

L     PARUS 

(A)   ATRICAPILLUS.     Black-capped  Titmouse.     Chickadee. 

(Common  in  Massachusetts  throughout  the  year,  but  much 
less  abundant  in  summer  than  in  the  other  seasons.) 

(a).  5-5£  inches  long.  (Tail  and  wings  2£.)  Above,  ashy, 
variously  tinted.  Beneath,  white,  in  winter  often  tinted  with 
"rusty"  or  buff.  Crown,  nape,  and  throat  black;  intervening 
space  (nearly)  white. 

(b).  The  Chickadees  either  select  a  natural  cavity  or  a  de- 
serted woodpecker's  home,  or  with  great  labor  excavate  a  hole 


60 


LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 


for  themselves,  in  a  post  or  a  tree.  They  rarely  select  a  sound 
tree,  but  much  prefer  a  decayed  one,  particularly  a  white  birch, 
in  which  from  one  to  thirty  feet  above  the  ground,  on  the  side 
(or  often  on  the  top  of  a  trunk,  if  a  broken  one) ,  they  make  an 
excavation,  from  three  inches  to  a  foot 
deep,  with  a  narrow  entrance,  if  possi- 
ble. At  the  bottom  they  place  warm 
and  soft  materials,  such  as  hairs,  moss, 
feathers,  and  wool ;  and  the  female, 
usually  in  the  last  week  of  May  (near 
Boston),  lays  six  or  sometimes  more 
eggs  —  often  again  laying,  later  in  the 
season.  The  eggs  average  *63  X  '50  of 
an  inch ;  and  are  white,  either  spotted 
with  reddish-brown,  or  finely  freckled 
with  a  rather  paler  shade,  which  ap- 
proaches flesh-color. 

(c).  The  Chickadees  are  so  abun- 
dantly distributed,  or  well  represented 
by  closely  allied  species,  throughout  the 
greater  part  of  North  America,  that 

probably  to  a  majority  of  its  inhabitants  they  are,  on  the 
whole,  more  familiar  than  any  other  birds.  They  are  common 
residents  in  all  the  New  England  States,  but  in  many  parts  of 
Massachusetts  are  much  less  common  in  summer  than  in 
winter,  when  many  have  come  from  the  North.  At  the  be- 
ginning of  every  new  year,  they  may  be  found  in  abun- 
dance in  the  neighborhood  of  Boston,  more  often  in  small 
flocks  than  otherwise.  One  may  then  wratch  them  closely, 
for  they  are  not  shy,  as  they  move  about  among  the  higher 
branches,  and  the  lower  branches,  or  even  on  the  ground, 
where  they  peck  at  fallen  cones,  or  at  such  refuse  as  can  afford 
them  any  nourishment.  When  on  the  trees,  their  motions  are 
characterized  by  constant  energy ;  and  the  better  to  obtain 
their  minute  prey  (small  insects  and  eggs,  such  as  infest  bark) 
they  assume  many  peculiar  attitudes,  to  maintain  which  great 
(comparative)  muscular  strength  is  required — such  attitudes 


Fig.  2.    Chickadee 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  61 

as  hanging  by  the  claws,  or  clinging  to  cones  with  the  head 
downwards.  They  are  so  merry,  genial,  and  sociable,  that 
their  society  is  sought  for,  as  it  were,  by  other  birds,  such  as 
creepers,  nuthatches,  Downy  Woodpeckers  and  "  kinglets," 
whose  habits  are  much  like  their  own,  and  who  frequently  join 
them  in  their  pleasant  rambles  and  active  scrambles.  They 
roam  wherever  there  are  trees,  be  they  near  houses,  or  in  the 
depths  of  the  forests,  in  valleys  or  on  hill-sides  ;14  but  ever- 
greens, particularly  pines,  and  white  birches,  are  their  favorites. 
They  never  take  other  than  short  flights,  and  often,  as  Wilson 
says,  "  traverse  the  woods  in  regular  progression  from  tree  to 
tree,"  in  this  manner  traveling  several  miles  every  day.  They 
are  very  unsuspicious,  and  allow  one  to  approach  closely,  so 
that  by  remaining  motionless  I  have  often  induced  them  to 
surround  my  person.  Mr.  Samuels  mentions  an  instance  of 
one  perching  on  the  toe  of  his  boot  as  he  sat  in  the  woods ; 
and  a  young  man  of  Northern  New  Hampshire  once  told  me 
that  they  were  so  tame  in  cold  weather  as  to  feed  from  his 
hand,  but  his  friends  were  possibly  young  and  inexperienced 
birds,  or  at  least  were  probably  those  who  had  passed  the 
summer  in  some  country  uninhabited  by  man. 

In  regard  to  the  manner  in  which  the  hardy  little  Titmice 
pass  the  night,  I  have  some  interesting  information  to  offer 
for  the  perusal  of  my  readers  and  I  shall  here  quote  from  my 
ornithological  diary.  "February  10th.  This  afternoon,  just 
before  sunset,  I  noticed  two  Chickadees,  feeding  on  the  ground, 
and  pecking  at  a  bone,  to  which  a  remnant  of  meat  was  at- 
tached. After  saving  one  of  them  from  a  cat,  who  was  steal- 
ing towards  and  was  about  to  catch  them,  I  remained  there 
fifteen  minutes.  They  scarcely  left  the  ground  during  that 
time,  except  to  take  a  low  perch,  until  half-past  five,  when 
one  flew  away  over  the  house-top  and  disappeared.  The  other 
continued  to  hop  about  on  the  ground  ;  and  then,  without  any 
intimation  of  his  purpose,  abruptly  flew  to  the  piazza,  whither 
I  followed  him.  He  took  possession  of  a  Pewee's  nest,  which 

"  Among  the  White  Mountains  to  an  elevation  of  4,000  feet  ( ?) 


62  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

stood  upon  the  top  of  a  corner-pillar,  adjoining  the  house, 
and,  having  stared  at  me  for  a  moment,  tucked  his  head  under 
his  wing,15  and  apparently  leaned  against  the  wall.  I  think 
that  he  went  to  sleep  almost  immediately,  for,  on  my  stepping 
from  the  piazza,  he  started  (as  if  from  sleep)  and  turned  to 
look  at  me ;  but  he  soon  composed  himself  once  more  to  his 
slumbers."  "Feb.  12th,  1875.  I  found  my  friend,  the  Chick- 
adee, fast  asleep  to-day  at  5.35  p.  M."  "Feb.  18th.  I  have 
continued  to  find  the  Chickadee  retiring  to  rest  in  the  nest  on 
the  piazza.  Another  retires  as  regularly  at  sunset,  and  sleeps 
in  a  hole  of  a  white  birch,  evidently  once  a  Chickadee's  nest, 
perhaps  his  own."  "March  13th.  At  five  minutes  after  six 
this  morning  a  Chickadee  suddenly  uttered  his  '  cliick-a-dee-dee- 
dee*  from  a  pine,  and  then  for  five  minutes  repeated  his  whistle 
of  pe-wee.  Two  companions  then  came,  and  the  small  flock, 
thus  formed,  moved  off." 

In  spring  the  Titmice  gradually  disperse,  many  to  seek  more 
northern  homes,  and  some,  after  mating,  to  prepare  homes  for 
their  offspring  here.  In  summer  they  are  shyer  than  in  win- 
ter and  often  retire  to  secluded  spots  to  rear  their  young,  for 
whom  they  exhibit  a  tender  affection,  which  sometimes  prompts 
them,  if  robbed  of  their  eggs,  to  follow  boldly  the  intruder, 
uttering  plaintive  cries  and  whistles,  which  almost  force  one 
to  repent  of  having  disturbed  the  peace  of  such  loving  parents. 
In  autumn,  when  family-cares  are  over,  the  Chickadees  gather 
in  companies  and  resume  a  merry  life. 

(d).  They  have  a  great  variety  of  simple  or  quaint  notes, 
all  of  which  seem  to  be  expressive  of  perpetual  happiness,  for 
many  of  them  are  constantly  repeated  throughout  the  year, 
and  none  are  restricted  to  one  season.  Besides  their  well- 
known  chant  "  chick-a-dee-dee-dee-dee,"  which  has  given  them 
their  name,  they  have  an  exquisite  whistle  of  two  notes  (nearly 
represented  by  high  G-  and  F,  upon  the  piano),  which  is  very 


18 1  have  here  emphasized  this  fact,  because  I  have  lately  read,  where  I  do  not 
now*  remember,  that  it  was  "a  ridiculous  supposition  that  wild  birds  ever  put 
their  bills  under  their  wings  when  sleeping. "  I 


OF  NEW   ENGLAND.  63 

sweet  and  clear,  and  various  minor  but  equally  expressive 
notes  (among  them  a  simple  tsip),  as  well  as  certain  guttural 
cries,  one  of  which  sounds  like  a  rapid  utterance  of  the  French 
phrase  "tout  de  suite,"  and  is  indicative,  as  it  were,  of  the 
restless  disposition  of  these  birds. 

The  Chickadees  are  universal  favorites,  and  no  birds  have  a 
better  right  to  be  than  these  social  and  happy  pygmies.  I  have 
invariably  found  them  to  be  very  amiable,  rarely  disputing  one 
with  another,  but  Wilson  considered  them  quarrelsome,  and 
speaks  of  having  followed  one,  the  singularity  of  whose  notes 
surprised  him.  Having  shot  it,  he  found  its  skull  fractured 
(as  he  supposed  by  a  companion)  but  afterwards  healed.  One 
passed  the  winter  in  my  neighborhood  whose  chant  may  be 
tolerably  well  expressed  by  the  syllables  "  chick-a-pu-pu-pu" 
the  latter  notes  being  somewhat  like  those  of 'a  Canary-bird, 
but  there  is  no  reason  to  believe  that  his  cranium  was  cracked. 

(B)  HUDSONIUS.  Hudsonian  Chickadee.  Hudson  Bay  Chick- 
adee. 

(a).  About  five  inches  long.  "Pale  olive-brown;  crown 
similar,  but  browner ;  below  on  sides,  and  behind,  pale  chest- 
nut." "Chin  and  throat  brownish-black." 

(c).  The  Hudson  Bay  Titmice  pass  the  summer  in  Arctic 
countries  (and  in  north-eastern  Maine?)  usually  penetrating 
northern  New  England  in  cold  weather  only.  Their  habits 
resemble  those  of  the  common  Chickadees.  "Mr.  Brewster 
took  a  single  specimen  at  Concord,  Massachusetts,  on  October 
29th,  1870,"  the  only  recorded  instance  of  their  capture  in  this 
State. 

(d).  Their  song-note  is  harsher  and  "more  quickly  given" 
than  that  of  our  Chickadees.16  /  '  ,  ti^l 

§5.     Sittinse.     Nuthatches.     (See  §  4.) 
I.     SITTA 

(A)  CAROLINENSIS.  White-breasted  Nuthatch.  White-bellied 
Nuthatch. 

"Maynard. 


64  LAND-BIRDS    AND   GAME-BIRDS 

(Common  here,  in  spring  and  autumn,  in  certain  localities. 
In  Massachusetts  a  few  pass  the  summer,  and  a  few  the  winter.) 

(a).  About  six  inches  long.  Above,  ashy  blue.  Outer  tail- 
feathers,  black  with  white  patches.  Wings  marked  with  the 
same  colors.  Under  tail-coverts  tinged  with  "  rusty."  Other 
under  parts  and  sides  of  the  head  (even  above  the  eyes) ,  white. 
Crown  and  nape,  black  (in  young  and  9  s,  impure,  restricted, 
or  wanting). 

(6).  The  nest  and  eggs  correspond  closely  to  those  of  the 
chickadee  (§  4, 1,  A,  6),  but  the  latter  are  larger,  averaging  -80 
X  * 60  of  an  inch,  and  are  rather  coarsely  spotted  with  (reddish-) 
brown  and  purplish.  Four  or  five  are  said  to  constitute  the 
usual  set,  but  at  what  time  they  are  laid  in  Massachusetts  I 
am  uncertain. 

(c).  The  White-bellied  Nuthatches  are  abundant  in  but  a 
few  parts  of  New  England.  In  Eastern  Massachusetts  they 
are  less  rare  in  spring  and  autumn  than  in  the  other  seasons  ; 
but  only  a  few  breed  or  pass  the  winter  here.  As  it  seems  to 
be  advisable  to  quote  from  Wilson  a  full  description  of  some 
bird's  habits,  to  show  the  usual  style  of  that  author,  I  shall 
here  repeat  his  remarks  about  these  birds.  After  describing 
their  appearance,  their  non-identity  with  the  European  Nut- 
hatch, and  their  nest  and  eggs,  he  writes  as  follows  : — 

"  The  male  is  extremely  attentive  to  the  female  while  sitting, 
supplying  her  regularly  with  sustenance,  stopping  frequently 
at  the  mouth  of  the  hole,  calling  and  offering  her  what  he  has 
brought,  in  the  most  endearing  manner.  Sometimes  he  seems 
to  stop  merely  to  enquire  how  she  is,  and  to  lighten  the  tedious 
moments  with  his  soothing  chatter.  He  seldom  rambles  far 
from  the  spot,  and  when  danger  appears,  regardless  of  his  own 
safety,  he  flies  instantly  to  alartn  her.  When  both  are  feeding 
on  the  trunk  of  the  same  tree,  or  of  adjoining  ones,  he  is  per- 
petually calling  on  her ;  and  from  the  momentary  pause  he 
makes  it  is  plain  that  he  feels  pleased  to  hear  her  reply. 

"  The  White-breasted  Nuthatch  is  common  almost  every 
where  in  the  woods  of  North  America  ;  and  may  be  known  at 
a  distance  by  the  notes  quank,  quarik,  frequently  repeated,  as 


OF   NEW    ENGLAND.  65 

he  moves  upward  and  down,  in  spiral  circles,  around  the  body 
and  larger  branches  of  the  tree,  probing  behind  the  thin  scaly 
bark  of  the  white  oak,  and  shelling  off  considerable  pieces  of 
it  in  his  search  after  spiders,  ants,  insects  and  their  larvae.  He 
rests  and  roosts  with  his  head  downwards ;  and  appears  to 
possess  a  degree  of  curiosity  not  common  in  many  birds ;  fre- 
quently descending,  very  silently,  within  a  few  feet  of  the 
root  of  the  tree  where  you  happen  to  stand,  stopping,  head 
downward,  stretching  out  his  neck  in  a  horizontal  position,  as 
if  to  reconnoitre  your  appearance,  and  after  several  minutes  of 
silent  observation,  wheeling  around,  he  again  mounts,  with  fresh 
activity,  piping  his  unisons  as  before.  Strongly  attached  to 
his  native  forests  he  seldom  forsakes  them ;  and  amidst  the 
rigors  of  the  severest  winter  weather,  his  note  is  still  heard 
in  the  bleak  and  leafless  woods,  .and  among  the  howling 
branches.  Sometimes  the  rain,  freezing  as  it  falls,  encloses 
every  twig,  and  even  the  trunk  of  the  tree,  in  a  hard  trans- 
parent coat  or  shell  of  ice.  On  these  occasions  I  have  ob- 
served his  anxiety  and  dissatisfaction,  at  being  with  difficulty 
able  to  make  his  way  along  the  smooth  surface  ;  at  these  times 
generally  abandoning  the  trees,  gleaning  about  the  stables, 
around  the  house,  mixing  among  the  fowls,  catering  the  barn, 
and  examining  the  beams  and  rafters,  and  every  place  where 
he  may  pick  up  a  subsistence. 

"The  name  Nuthatch  has  been  bestowed  on  this  family  of 
birds  from  their  supposed  practice  of  breaking  nuts  by  repeated 
hatchings,  or  hammerings  with  their  bills.  Soft  shelled  nuts, 
such  as  chestnuts,  chinkapins,  and  hazel  nuts,  they  may  prob- 
abl}'  be  able  to  demolish,  though  I  have  never  yet  seen  them  so 
engaged ;  but  it  must  be  rather  in  search  of  maggots  that 
sometimes  breed  there,  than  for  the  kernel.  It  is,  however,  said 
that  they  lay  up  a  large  store  of  nuts  for  winter ;  but  as  I  have 
never  either  found  an}T  of  their  magazines,  or  seen  them  col- 
lecting them,  I  am  inclined  to  doubt  the  fact.  From  the  great 
numbers  I  have  opened  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  I  have  every 
reason  to  believe  that  ants,  bugs,  small  seeds,  insects  and  their 
larvae,  form  their  chief  subsistence,  such  matters  alone  being 


66  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

uniformly  found  in  their  stomachs.  Neither  can  I  see  what 
necessity  they  could  have  to  circumambulate  the  trunks  of  trees 
with  such  indefatigable  and  restless  diligence,  while  bushels  of 
nuts  la}r  scattered  round  their  roots.  As  to  the  circumstance 
mentioned  by  Dr.  Plott,  of  the  European  Nuthatch  c  putting  its 
bill  into  a  crack  in  the-  bough  of  a  tree,  and  making  such  a 
violent  sound,  as  if  it  was  rending  assunder,'  this,  if  true,  would 
be  sufficient  to  distinguish  it  from  the  species  we  have  just  been 
describing,  which  possesses  no  such  faculty.  The  female  differs 
little  from  the  male  in  color,  chiefly  in  the  black  being  less  deep 
on  the  head  and  wings." 

To  the  above  extract  I  have  only  to  add  that  it  should  be 
remembered  that  Wilson  wrote  this  account  in  Pennsylvania, 
in  the  first  years  of  this  century,  and  that  further  knowledge 
of  this  bird's  habits  may  be  obtained  by  studying  those  of  the 
Red-bellied  Nuthatch,  who  leads  a  very  similar  life. 

(d) .  The  note  of  the  White-bellied  Nuthatch  is  monotonous, 
unmusical,  and  yet  striking ;  it  differs  from  that  of  the  next 
species  in  usually  being  pitched  on  a  somewhat  lower  key. 
There  is  also  another  note,  properly  distinct,  which  is  rather 
more  subdued,  though  shriller.  This  scarcely  differs  in  tone 
from  the  ordinary  cry  of  the  Red-bellied  Nuthatch.  Both 
sounds  are  sure  to  attract  the  attention  of  a  person  who  may 
hear  them  for  the  first  time,  and  to  remain  firmly  fixed  in  his 
memory. 

(B)     CANADENSIS.     Red-bellied  Nuthatch. 

(In  Eastern  Massachusetts,  common  in  October,  and  less  so 
in  winter  and  spring.) 

(a).  4^-5  inches  long.  Above,  bright  ashy  or  leaden  blue. 
Outer  tail-feathers  black,  white-spotted.  Beneath,  (pale)  rusty- 
colored,  except  on  the  chin,  which  is  white.  In  $  crown,  and 
broad  stripe  through  the  eye,  black.  Intermediate  space  (and 
forehead),  white.  In  9  no  black  cap,  and  eye-stripe  dusky. 

(6).  The  eggs  are  exactly  like  those  of  the  Chickadee  (§  4, 
I,  A)  ;  and  moreover  the  nest  is  in  many  respects  like  the  nest 
of  that  bird,  though  sometimes  placed  in  a  horizontal  limb  of 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  67 

a  decayed  tree,  a  situation  in  which  I  have  never  found  the 
home  of  a  titmouse.  In  northern  New  England  the  female 
lays  about  June  first,  and  occasionally  again  in  July. 

(c).  The  Red-bellied  Nuthatches  habitually  spend  the  sum- 
mer in  the  woods  and  forests  of  northern  New  England  and 
other  rather  cold  countries,  though  a  few  may  occasionally 
breed  in  this  State,  particularly  in  the  western  and  well- 
'  wooded  portions.  They  appear  in  Massachusetts  about  the 
first  of  October,  and  I  have  invariably  found  them  quite  com- 
mon during  that  month  in  the  neighborhood  of  Boston.  Many 
retire  to  the  South  in  November ;  and  those  who  pass  the  win- 
ter here  may  easily  escape  observation,  for  they  are  generally 
silent,  often  frequent  the  large  tracts  of  woods  which  are  but 
little  penetrated  by  man  in  midwinter,  and  not  unfrequently 
almost  lose  their  individuality,  so  to  speak,  by  joining  troops 
of  Chickadees.  They  are  by  no  means  rare  in  April  or  the 
early  part  of  May,  when  many  pass  through  in  their  annual 
spring-migrations.  As  I  have  intimated,  they  are  so  sociable 
as  to  associate  somewhat  with  other  birds,  but  they  are  not 
often  gregarious  in  Massachusetts,  and  usually  are  seen  singly 
or  in  pairs,  and  not  in  flocks,  as  they  are  further  north.  They 
are  more  fond  of  pines  than  other  trees,  feeding  upon  their 
seeds,  as  well  as  on  the  insects  about  them,  and  among  them 
are  tp  be  found,  busied  in  almost  every  conceivable  attitude, 
sometimes  moving  up  and  down  the  trunk,  as  often  with  the 
head  pointing  downward  as  upward,  and  at  other  times  scram- 
bling about  the  branches  or  the  cones.  They  are  not  confined, 
however,  to  trees,  for  they  sometimes  climb  about  fences  or 
old  buildings,  and  occasionally  descend  to  the  ground,  where 
they  pick  up  fallen  seeds.  In  comparing  this  species  with  the 
White-breasted,  Wilson  says  that  "its  voice  is  sharper,  and 
its  motions  much  quicker  than  those  of  the  other,  being  so 
rapid,  restless  and  small,  as  to  make  it  a  difficult  point  to  shoot 
one  of  them.  When  the  two  species  are  in  the  woods  together, 
they  are  easily  distinguished  by  their  voices,  the  note  of  the 
least  being  nearly  an  octave  sharper  than  that  of  its  companion, 
and  repeated  more  hurriedly ." 


68  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

(d).  The  only  note  of  the  Red-bellied  Nuthatch  is  an  un- 
musical sound,  like  the  word  "ank,"  which,  says  Mr.  Maynard, 
is  repeated  more  deliberately  and  less  querulously  in  the  breed- 
ing-season than  at  other  times  ;  a  fact,  which  I  also  have 
noticed.  It  is,  however,  varied  considerably  in  pitch  at  all 
times  of  the  year. 

§  6.   Certhiidse.     Creepers.     (See  §  4.) 
I.   CERTHIA 

(A)    FAMiLiARis.17     Brown  Creeper. 

(In  Eastern  Massachusetts  very  rare  in  summer,  but  common 
in  winter.) 

(a).  About  5£  inches  long.  Bill  slender  and  decurved  ;  tail- 
feathers  rigid  and  acuminate  (as  in  other  Certhiince).  Below, 
white.  Tail  unmarked.  Other  upper  parts  curiously  and  finely 
marked  with  several  browns  and  whitish. 

(&).  Wilson  says  that  "  the  Brown  Creeper  builds  his  nest 
in  the  hollow  trunk  or  branch  of  a  tree,  where  the  tree  has 
been  shivered,  or  a  limb  broken  off,  or  where  squirrels  or 
Woodpeckers  have  wrought  out  an  entrance,  for  nature  has  not 
provided  him  with  the  means  of  excavating  one  for  himself." 
Mr.  Gregg  (in  a  Catalogue  of  the  Birds  of  Chemung  County, 
New  York)  says  that  u  the  nest  of  this  species  is  built  of  dry 
twigs  attached  to  the  sides  of  some  perpendicular  object ;".  and 
that  he  "  discovered  one  on  the  attic  of  a  deserted  log  house  ; 
the  nest  rested  upon  the  inner  projection  of  the  gable  clap- 
board, and  was  cemented  together  with  a  gummy  or  gelatinous 
substance."  The  only  nest  that  I  have  found  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Boston  was  a  few  feet  from  the  ground,  placed  in  the 
cavity  formed  by  the  rending  of  a  tree  by  lightning.  The 
eggs,  which  were  fresh  on  the  twentieth  day  of  May,  were 
grayish-white,  speckled  with  reddish-brown,  chiefly  at  the 
larger  end,  and  measured  about  -60X*50  of  an  inch.  A  nest, 
containing  young,  found  in  a  New  Hampshire  forest,  was  much 
like  one  found  "  in  a  large  elm  in  Court  Square,  Springfield, 

17 Once  called  Americana  and  "American  Creeper." 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  69 

about  ten  feet  from  the  ground,  and  built  behind  a  strip  of 
thick  bark,  that  projected  in  such  a  way,  as  to  leave  a  protected 
cavity  behind  it."  Dr.  Brewer  has  described  the  eggs  as 
"nearly  oval  in  shape,  with  a  grayish-white  ground,  sparingly 
sprinkled  with  small,  fine,  red  and  reddish-brown  spots.  They 
measure  -55X'43  of  an  inch." 

(c).  In  Eastern  Massachusetts  the  Brown  Creepers  are  in 
•winter  common,  less  so,  however,  than  in  March,  April,  and 
October,  when  migrating  from  South  to  North  or  vice  versa; 
on  the  milder  winter-daj^s  they  may  often  be  seen,  as  in  spring 
and  fall,  about  open  woodland,  near  houses,  and  "  even  in  vil- 
lage streets  ;"  whereas  during  the  colder  weather  they  frequent 
thicker  and  more  sheltered  woods.  -  Only  a  very  few  pass  the 
summer  in  this  State,  a  much  larger  number  inhabiting  the  ex- 
tensive forests  of  northern  New  England,  during  that  season. 

Like  the  titmice  and  nuthatches  (with  whom  they  often  as- 
sociate, not  being  themselves  gregarious),  they  are  habitually 
among  trees ;  but,  unlike  those  birds,  they  rarely  if  ever  de- 
scend to  the  ground,  and  never  hang  with  the  head  downwards. 
They  are  constantly  in  pursuit  of  insects ;  hunting  for  them 
somewhat  in  the  manner  of  woodpeckers,  by  clinging  to  the 
trunk  or  larger  branches  of  the  trees,  on  which  they  have 
alighted,  propping  themselves  with  their  stiff  tail-feathers, 
and  moving  about  as  securely  as  on  a  flat  surface.  Their  pro- 
gress is  generally  systematic,  for  they  usually  alight  near  the 
foot  of  the  tree,  and  climb  up  toward  the  top ;  but  they  are 
often  induced,  perhaps  by  a  lack  of  insects,  to  desert  one  tree 
for  another,  before  they  have  examined  it  thoroughly.  More- 
over, they  often  ascend  in  spirals,  particularly  on  the  trunks  of 
the  pine,  one  of  their  favorite  trees,  and  thus  confuse  the 
observer,  as  they  are  soon  lost  to  sight.  Often,  when  I  have 
awaited  their  appearance  on  one  side,  they  have  flown  off  to  a 
neighboring  tree,  or,  when  I  have  run  round  to  their  side,  they 
have  climbed  round  to  mine.  But  they  are  not  shy,  and  it  is 
not  difficult,  when  aided  by  even  a  very  little  experience,  to 
"  keep  track"  of  their  movements,  and  to  watch  their  motions. 

(d).  The  ordinary  notes  of  the  Brown  Creepers  are  a  feeble 
lisp,  a  chip  which  they  generally  repeat  when  flying,  and  a 


70  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

peculiar  cry  of  cree-cree-cree-cree,  which  is  much  less  often 
heard  than  the  others.  Their  indescribable  song  is  a  very 
pleasant  one,  being  somewhat  like  the  far  finer  music  of  the 
Winter  Wren,  and  is  varied,  some  of  the  notes  being  loud  and 
sweet,  while  others  are  much  feebler  and  less  full  in  tone.  It 
is  repeated  both  in  spring  and  summer,  but  never,  I  think,  be- 
fore March. 

The  Creepers  are  harmless  birds,  and  as  well  as  their  allies, 
the  titmice  and  nuthatches,  should  be  considered  extremely 
useful,  since  they  help  largely  to  preserve  our  trees  and  to  pro- 
tect forest-growth.  While  men  continue  unwisely  to  destroy 
large  woods  in  this  State,  thus  exposing  others  and  leaving  no 
provision  for  the  future,  these  birds  will  be  more  and  more 
needed  to  remove  those  prominent  causes  of  vegetable  decay, 
injurious  insects.  Therefore  they  should  be  preserved. 

§  7.  The  TrOglodytidSB,  or  wrens,  form  a  distinct  group, 
though  quite  closely  allied  to  several  families.  They  are  insec- 
tivorous, and  pass  their  time  near  the  ground.  Though  not 
climbers,  they  are  eminently  creepers.  They  are  migratory 
but  not  gregarious.  They  are  for  the  most  part  (possibly  in 
all  cases)  musical.  They  lay  several  or  many  eggs  in  one  set ; 
these  are  small,  white,  reddish,  or  brown,  and  generally  finely 
marked.  The  Troglodytes  inhabit  shrubbery  or  woodland,  and 
build  their  nest  in  some  cavity,  such  as  the  hole  of  a  tree ; 
but  the  Cistothori  frequent  marshes  or  meadows,  and  build  a 
globular  nest,  which  is  suspended  among  the  reeds,  or  in  the 
grass.  The  Troglodytidce  are  characterized  as  follows  :  colors 
plain ;  general  size  less  than  six  inches  (though  in  one  North 
American  species  eight)  ;  bill  rather  long  and  slender,  unbris- 
tled  and  unnotched  ;  nostrils  exposed,  but  overhung  by  a  scale  ; 
tarsi  scutellate  ;  toes  partly  united  ;  primaries  ten,  but  the  first 
very  short;  tail-feathers  not  acuminate  (fig.  3). 

The  MotacillidcB  (§  8)  are  in  New  England  represented  by 
one  species  only  (belonging  to  the  subfamily  Anthince).  They 
possess  the  following  features :  average  length,  about  six 
inches  ( ?)  ;  bill  slender,  somewhat  notched,  scarcely  bristled, 
but  above  "slightly  concave  at  base ;"  nostrils  exposed  ;  tarsus 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  71 

scutellate  ;  "  hind  toe  considerably  longer  than  the  middle  one  ;" 
primaries  nine.  The  wagtails  are  virtually  terrestrial  warblers, 
closely  allied  to  the  Seiuri. 

It  may  be  observed  that  our  land-birds,  as  at  present  arranged, 
form  a  series,  which  may  be  artificially  classified  by  food.  Thus 
the  higher  Oscines  are  chiefly  insectivorous,  the  shrikes  partly 
insectivorous,  but  otherwise  carnivorous,  while  the  subsequent 
families  are  chiefly  granivorous.  The  Clamatores  and  Picarice, 
the  Raptores,  and  the  Columbce,  form  a  very  similar  sequence, 
the  pigeons  being,  so  to  speak,  vegetarians. 

I.  TROGLODYTES 

(A)   HYEMALis.18     Winter  Wren.     Wood  Wren. 
(Quite  common  in  Massachusetts,  during  the  migrations,  in 
April  and  October.) 


Fig.  3.     Winter  Wren. 


(a).   About  four  inches  long.     Tail  rather  short.     Essen- 
tially like  the  next  species  in  coloration  ;  but  superciliary  line, 


18  This  species  has  been  placed  by  Baird  in  this  genus  (subgenus  Anorthura"), 
by  other  authors  in  the  genus  Anorthura,  with  the  specific  name  hy emails  or  troglo- 
dytes. Prof.  Baird  has  recently  called  it  a  variety  of  the  European  T.  parvulus. 
I  have  here  called  it  the  Wood  Wren,  because  Audubon's  so-called  "Wood  Wren  " 
(T.  Americanus}  is  now  known  to  be  the  same  as  the  House  Wren  (T.  a^don"), 
and  because  the  Winter  Wrens  inhabit  woods,  almost  exclusively,  whereas  our 
other  wrens  do  not.  The  name  is  therefore  extremely  appropriate.  For  the  Great 
Carolina  Wven.(Thryothorus  Ludovicianus')  see  a  note  at  the  end  of  this  biography. 


72  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

and  (generally)  markings  on  the  wing,  whitish.  Habits  very 
different. 

(6).  "Five  eggs,  not  quite  fresh,  which  I  took  from  a  nest 
in  the  White  Mountains  on  the  23rd  of  July  (probably  those 
of  a  second  set),  were  pure  crystal- white,  thinly  and  minutely 
speckled  with  bright  reddish-brown,  and  averaging  about  -70  X 
•55  of  an  inch.  The  nest,  thickly  lined  with  feathers  of  the 
Buffed  Grouse,  was  in  a  low  moss-covered  stump,  about  a  foot 
high,  in  a  dark  swampy  forest,  filled  with  tangled  piles  of  fallen 
trees  and  branches.  The  entrance  to  the  nest,  on  one  side,  was 
very  narrow,  its  diameter  being  less  than  an  inch,  and  was 
covered  with  an  overhanging  bit  of  moss,  which  the  bird  was 
obliged  to  push  up  on  going  in."  (H.  D.  Minot.)  Dr.  Brewer 
describes  other  eggs  as  measuring  '65X*48  of  an  inch,  and 
"spotted  with  a  bright  reddish-brown  and  a  few  pale  markings 
of  purplish-slate,  on  a  pure  white  ground."  The  nest  contain- 
ing these  eggs,  which  were  six  in  number,  "  was  built  in  an 
occupied  log-hut,  among  the  fir-leaves  and  mosses  in  a  crev- 
ice between  the  logs."  It  was  found  by  Mr.  William  F.  Hall 
"  at  Camp  Sebois,  in  the  central  eastern  portion  of  Maine." 

(c).  The  Winter  Wrens  are  not  very  common  in  this  State, 
and  are  generally  seen  here  only  in  April  and  October,  when 
migrating.  They  spend  their  summers  in  the  most  northern 
parts  of  New  England  and  the  cold  countries  beyond,  and 
their  winters  to  the  southward  of  Massachusetts.19  They  are 
so  little  social  as  to  generally  travel  singly,  and  to  avoid  the 
neighborhood  of  man,  usually  frequenting,  when  journeying, 
woods,  or  roadsides  bordered  by  them,  though  I  have  also  seen 
them  in  woodpiles  near  houses  or  barns.  In  such  places  they 
busy  themselves  about  the  piles  of  brush  and  logs ;  when 
frightened  often  taking  refuge  in  stone  walls,  if  any  be  near, 
where,  on  account  of  their  small  size  and  great  activity,  they 
are  as  much  at  home  as  squirrels.  When  they  have  once  taken 
to  such  a  retreat,  it  is  impossible  to  keep  sight  of  them  for 
any  great  length  of  time.  Wilson  says  that  in  winter  they  are 

19 1  have  heard  of  but  few  instances  of  their  being  seen  in  this  State  in  winter. 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  73 

"quite  at  home,  even  in  the  yards,  gardens,  and  outhouses  of 
the  city,"20  and  also  speaks  of  their  singing  while  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. 

I  have  several  times  seen  them  in  the  forests  of  the  White 
Mountains,  both  in  valleys  and  on  hill-sides, —  in  those  grand, 
dark,  and  cool  forests,  which  have  been  left  undisturbed  by 
man  for  years,  if  not  forever,  where  the  ground  is  covered  with 
fallen  trees,  with  logs  piled  upon  one  another  and  covered 
with  rich  moss,  and  where  the  damp  soil,  unparched  by  the 
sun,  in  summer  gives  birth  to  innumerable  ferns,  of  great 
variety  and  extraordinary  beauty.  In  such  spots,  their  natural 
haunts,  the  Wood  Wrens  seemed  to  be  less  shy  than  they  com- 
monly are  during  their  migrations  (which  is  not  the  case  with 
most  birds),  and  I  have  there  often  watched  them,  creeping 
agilely  about  with  their  long  legs  and  constantly  "ducking" 
their  bodies  in  their  peculiar  manner,  or  singing  from  the  top 
of  some  brush-heap  or  some  pile  of  tangled  limbs. 

(d).  When  traveling  they  are  silent,  but  they  have  an  ex- 
quisite song,  which  I  have  often  heard  in  their  summer-homes. 
It  is  one  which  cannot  fail  to  attract  the  attention  of  an  obser- 
vant person,  though  it  may  lead  to  a  long  search  for  the  musi- 
cian, before  he  is  found.  It  is  very  lively  and  hurried,  and  the 
notes  seem  to  tumble  over  one  another  in  the  energy  with 
which  they  are  poured  out.  They  are  full  of  power,  though 
many  are  shrill,  and  are  garnished  with  many  a  gay  trill ;  in 
some  passages  reminding  one  of  the  Canary-bird's  song,  though 
infinitely  finer.  Their  tone  and  spirit  are  wonderful  and  alone 
render  them  quite  characteristic.  Dr.  Brewer  speaks  of  the 
"querulous  note"  of  these  birds,  which  I  do  not  remember  to 
have  ever  heard. 

One  of  the  prettiest  little  scenes  that  I  have  ever  seen  in 
nature  was  partly  enacted  by  a  Winter  Wren,  who,  in  nimbly 
scrambling  about  a  stone  wall,  nearly  ran  into  a  "  chipmonk," 
basking  in  the  sun  on  the  top  of  it.  The  surprise  and  pertness 


20  Wilson  wrote  these  words  nearly  seventy  years  ago,  when  Philadelphia  was 
a  city  of  about  80,000  inhabitants. 


74  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

of  both  creatures,  at  this  unexpected  meeting,  were  very  ludi- 
crous and  yet  very  charming. 

NOTE. —  Thryothorus  Ludovicianus.     Great  Carolina  Wren. 

(Said  to  have  occurred  in  Connecticut.) 

(a).  Nearly  six  inches  long.  Above,  reddish-brown;  be- 
neath, chiefly  tawny.  Superciliary  stripe,  white  or  buffy. 
Wings,  tail  (and  under  tail-coverts?),  black-barred.  Wings 
often  somewhat  white-spotted. 

(&).  "  The  nest  is  composed  of  various  warm  materials, 
placed  in  a  cavity,  such  as  the  hole  of  a  tree,  or  some  hole  in 
a  building."  An  egg  in  my  collection  measures  about  -75  X 
•55  of  an  inch,  and  is  dull  white,  spotted  somewhat  coarsely 
with  obscure  lilac  and  several  rather  quiet  browns,  which  are 
chiefly  collected  at  the  crown. 

(c).  "The  Great  Carolina  Wrens  (Thryothorus  Ludovici- 
anus), so  far  as  I  know,  have  not  previously  been  reported  as 
visitors  to  Massachusetts,  but  there  are  at  present  two  appar- 
ently passing  the  summer  in  a  small  wooded  swamp  near 
Boston.  It  is  believed  that  they  have  arrived  since  the  fourth 
of  July,  soon  after  which  my  attention  was  attracted  by  their 
loud  notes,  which  I  immediately  recognized  through  their  gen- 
eral likeness  to  the  notes  of  other  wrens,  and  the  descriptions 
of  Wilson  and  Audubon.  It  is  further  believed  that  they  are 
now  building  or  have  recently  built  their  nest,  the  female  being 
rarely  seen,  though  the  male  often  visits  the  shrubbery  about 
the  house.  Though  unwilling  that  they  should  be  shot,  I  have 
no  doubt  as  to  their  identity,  partly  on  account  of  their  music, 
which  I  have  never  before  heard,  though  familiar  with  our  birds. 
Moreover  the  description  of  the  birds  which  I  wrote  on  the 
spot,  where  I  first  obtained  a  good  view  of  the  male,  corre- 
sponds in  every  important  particular  to  the  descriptions  given 
by  standard  authors.  To  facilitate  the  detection  of  these  birds 
elsewhere  in  Massachusetts,  I  offer  a  slight  sketch  of  their 
habits  and  notes,  as  just  observed. 

"The  Carolina  Wrens,  being  shy,  are  not  easily  studied,  for, 
on  man's  approach,  they  often  discontinue  their  song,  and  hide 
themselves  in  the  surrounding  shrubbery,  or  in  a  neighboring 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  75 

wall.  They  sometimes  betray  their  presence,  however,  by  their 
quarrelsome  disposition,  and  their  noisy  anger  at  the  supposed 
intrusion  of  other  birds.  They  remain  near  the  ground,  flying 
a  little  way  with  a  rather  loud  fluttering,  actively  hopping  from 
twig  to  twig  somewhat  impetuously,  and  with  the  tail  often 
cocked  in  the  air,  or  pausing  to  sing,  when  they  assume  a  more 
upright  posture,  accompanied  by  a  depression  of  the  tail. 

"Their  notes,  except  their  chatter,  which  is  much  like  that 
of  the  House  Wren,  are  generally  loud,  musical  whistles,  which 
exhibit  great  variation.  Sometimes  they  form  a  series  of  trip- 
lets, all  of  which  may  individually  be  on  a  descending  or  an 
ascending  scale  ;  sometimes  they  resemble  the  word  chirrup, 
the  first  syllable  being  much  dwelt  upon,  and  at  other  times 
may  be  well  represented  by  the  syllables  we'-u,  we'-u,  we'-u,  we'-u. 
This  music  is  often  delivered  with  volubility,  but  it  is  always 
characterized,  apart  from  any  similar  notes  to  be  heard  near 
Boston,  by  a  remarkable  clearness  or  openness.  Such  is  the 
biography  of  the  Carolina  Wrens  in  Massachusetts." 

"  H.  D.  MINOT." 
"  July  loth,  1876." 

To  this  account  it  may  be  added  that  the  Carolina  Wrens  are 
not  always  shy,  that  they  are  ventriloquists,  and  that  they  pos- 
sess a  greater  variety  of  sweet  musical  notes  than  has  been 
indicated  in  the  foregoing  account.  It  is  now  believed,  after 
further  observations,  that  they  arrived  before  July,  and  chose 
for  their  home  a  drier  and  sunnier  place  than  the  above-men- 
tioned swamp,  to  which,  however,  they  have  frequently  wan- 
dered, at  least  the  male. 


(B)   ^£DON.     House  Wren. 

(A  very  common  summer-resident  in  southern  New  Eng- 
land, though  locally  distributed.) 

(a).  4J~5£  inches  long.  Above,  rather  dark  wren-brown. 
Below,  light  creamy  or  grayish  brown  (rarely  rusty-brown). 
Everywhere  finely  "waved"  with  darker  brown,  but  not  con- 
spicuously on  the  crown.  Coloration  variable.  Superciliary 
line  sometimes  whitish.  Tail  1^-2  inches  long. 


76  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

(6).  The  nest,  generally  a  heap  of  twigs  lined  with  warmer 
materials,  is  usually  built  in  a  bird-box,  or  in  a  hole  of  a  post 
or  tree ;  but  it  is  also  often  built  in  very  extraordinary  situa- 
tions, such  as  the  sleeve  of  a  coat  (Wilson),  a  clay  pot,  a  dis- 
used spout,  or  other  equalty  odd  place.  The  eggs  of  each  set 
are  six  to  nine  ;  like  those  of  the  Long-billed  Marsh  Wren  (II, 
B,  b),  but  much  lighter  and  more  reddish ;  they  average  about 
•60X'48  of  an  inch.  In  Eastern  Massachusetts  two  sets  are 
occasionally  laid  in  the  summer,  one  usually  appearing  in  the 
first  week  of  June. 

(c).  The  House  Wrens,  though  rare  in  the  northern  part  of 
New  England,  and  so  locally  distributed  in  the  southern  por- 
tion as  never  to  be  seen  in  certain  parts  of  it,  are  yet  common 
in  Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island,  and  Connecticut,  and  even 
very  abundant  in  some  parts  of  these  States.  They  usually 
reach  the  neighborhood  of  Boston  in  the  first  week  of  May,  and 
leave  it  in  September,  when  the  frost  has  rendered  it  difficult 
for  them  to  obtain  their  ordinary  food,  which  consists  entirely 
of  spiders,  other  insects,  and  their  eggs.  The  House  Wrens 
frequent  exclusively  cultivated  grounds,  and  the  immediate 
neighborhood  of  man,  so  much  so  as  to  be  "  very  numerous  in 
the  gardens  of  Cambridge,"  and  other  like  cities.  They  are  so 
fearless  as  to  have  built  in  occupied  houses,  and  so  impertinent 
and  quarrelsome  as  sometimes  to  seize  upon  the  nests  of  other 
birds  for  their  own  convenience,  regardless  of  rights  of  prop- 
erty or  ownership,  and  they  invariably  drive  away  from  their 
own  homes  other  wrens  who  may  have  intruded.  They  are, 
moreover,  so  brave  as  to  often  attack  cats,  generally  with  suc- 
cess. When  not  engaged  in  quarrels  or  robbery,  in  building 
or  incubation,  they  are  busy  in  hunting  for  insects,  particularly 
spiders,  in  shrubbery,  gardens,  and  orchards ;  and  they  do  not 
ramble  about  in  the  gloomy  recesses  of  wood-piles  as  the  Win- 
ter Wrens  do.  But  in  winter,  when  far  away  from  their  summer 
homes,  and  yet  enjoying  warm  weather,  their  habits  are  differ- 
ent from  those  with  which  we  are  here  familiar.  Mr.  Allen,  in 
speaking  of  their  habits  in  Florida,  in  winter,  says  that  they 
keep  "so  closely  concealed  that  it  is  difficult  to  shoot"  them 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  77 

"  except  when  on  the  wing.21  Both  this  and  the  Carolina  wren 
are  exceedingly  quick  in  their  movements,  and  if  they  are  watch- 
ing the  collector  when  he  is  about  to  shoot  at  them,  they  are 
pretty  sure  to  dodge  the  charge  ;  although  he  finds  the  bushes 
and  foliage  where  the  bird  sat  riddled  by  the  shot,  he  usually 
searches  in  vain  for  the  specimen  he  is  sure  he  ought  to  have 
killed.  When  approached  in  old  grassy  fields  or  pine  openings, 
they  will  allow  one  to  almost  tread  on  them  before  attempting 
to  get  away,  and  then,  instead  of  taking  to  wing,  often  seek 
to  escape  by  running  off  like  a  mouse  beneath  the  grass.  The 
term  "house"  wren,  usually  applied  to  this  bird,  is  decidedly  a 
misnomer,  since  it  frequents  the  fields,  the  thickets,  and  even 
the  forest,  as  much  as  the  vicinity  of  houses.  In  the  wilds  of 
Florida,  where  human  habitations  are  few,  there  -is  nothing 
whatever  in  its  habits  to  suggest  this  name." 

Other  instances  might  be  cited  to  show  how  very  injudic- 
iously names  have  often  been\  bestowed  upon  birds,  more  so 
than  in  the  present  case,  with  which  there  is  but  little  fault  to 
find.  Particularly  should  be  condemned  the  practice  of  naming 
species  after  the  place  where  they  were  first  captured,  for  the 
title  may  afterwards  become  utterly  inappropriate. 

(d).  The  House  Wrens  have  a  chirp  not  unlike  that  of  an 
insect,  a  peculiar  chatter,  and  a  charming  song,  which  cannot 
be  satisfactorily  described,  as  is  the  case  with  the  music  of 
most  other  birds.  This  song  consists  of  a  few  loud  and 
sprightty  notes,  followed  by  a  loud  and  very  characteristic 
trill,  which  is  its  most  prominent  feature.  It  may  often  be 
heard  in  the  summer  and  in  May. 

II.   CISTOTHORUS 

(A)    STELLARIS.    Short-billed  Marsh  Wren.    Meadow  Wren. 
(In  New  England,  a  rather  rare  summer-resident,  found  only 
in  the  warmer  parts.) 

(a).    About  4^  inches  long.    Below,  white.    Breast  and  sides 


21 1  have  hero  taken  the  liberty  of  very  slightly  altering  the  text,  without  chang- 
ing its  meaning,  that  it  might  better  accord  with  my  own. 


78  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

of  a  light  warm  brown.  Wings  and  tail  barred.  Like  C. 
palustris  above,  but  streaked  with  white  on  the  back,  nape,  and 
rump. 

(6).  The  nest  is  essentially  like  that  of  the  next  species; 
but,  no  mud  is  used  in  its  composition,  it  is  generally  placed 
in  fresh-water  marshes  or  meadows  (being  sometimes  built  in 
long  grass),  and  the  hole  is  usually  on  the  under  side.  The 
eggs  are  generally  six,  sometimes  more,  very  frail,  white,  and 
about  -55  X  "43  of  an  inch.  The  first  and  commonly  the  only 
set  is  laid,  in  Eastern  Massachusetts,  in  the  early  part  of  June. 

(c).  I  must  confess  to  not  being  so  very  familiar  with  the 
Meadow  Wrens  as  I  should  like  to  be  before  writing  their  Nat- 
ural History,  for  in  the  southern  parts  of  New  England  they 
are  very  generally  rare,  and  in  the  northern  parts  are  not  to  be 
found  at  all.  They  come  to  Eastern  Massachusetts  about  the 
middle  of  May,  and  inhabit  the  fresh-water  marshes  and  mead- 
ows, in  certain  localities,  until  the  latter  part  of  August,  when 
they  retire  to  the  South.  On  their  arrival,  they  busy  themselves 
in  building  their  peculiar  nests,  and  it  has  been  observed  that 
they  generally  build  several  near  together,  every  year,  perhaps 
for  the  sake  of  protection.  They  are  generally  occupied  in 
hunting  for  insects  among  reeds,  rushes,  or  tall  grass,  but  it  is 
not  easy  to  assure  one's  self  of  this  fact,  since  they  are  shy, 
and,  to  use  a  sportsman's  expression,  "lie  very  close."  They 
can  also  creep  about  and  through  the  reeds  as  silently  and 
actively  as  a  mouse. 

(d).  The  Meadow  Wrens  have  a  harsh  unpleasant  chatter, 
but  also  a  simple  and  yet  very  pleasant  song,  which  reminds 
one  of  the  songs  of  certain  sparrows,  though  often  character- 
ized by  a  peculiar  wren-trill. 

(B)   pALUSTRis.22  Marsh   Wren.     Long-billed  Marsh   Wren. 

(Less  common  in  Massachusetts  than  the  preceding  species.) 

(a).   5-5^- inches  long.    Above,  brown.    Below,  white  ;  sides 

shaded  with  brown.     Tail   dusky-barred.     Wings  and  under 

22  By  some  authors  placed  in  the  genus  Telmatodytes  (considered  by  Baird  a 
subgenusj. 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  79 

tail-coverts  slightly  marked.  Inter  scapulars  and  crown,  quite 
or  nearly  black  ;  the  former  'white-streaked.  Superciliary  line, 
white. 

(6).  The  nest  is  suspended  among  the  reeds  or  long  grass, 
or  is  built  in  a  bush  in  marshes.  It  "is  formed  outwardly  of 
wet  rushes  mixed  with  mud,  well  intertwisted,  and  fashioned 
into  the  form  of  a  cocoa  nut.  A  small  hole  is  left  two-thirds 
up,  for  entrance,  the  upper  edge  of  which  projects  *  *  *. 
The  inside  is  lined  with  fine  soft  grass,  and  sometimes 
feathers ;  *  *  *."  (Wilson.)  The  eggs  are  usually  six,  and 
are  laid  in  early  June.  They  are  light  (reddish  ?)  chocolate- 
brown,  so  finely  marked  with  a  darker  shade,  as  to  appear,  from 
a  distance,  uniformly  dark,  and  average  about  -58  X  *45  of  an 
inch. 

(c).  The  Marsh  Wrens  are  not  to  be  found  in  northern 
New  England,  and  in  Massachusetts  are  even  less  common 
than  the  Meadow  Wrens,  to  whom  they  are  very  closely  allied 
in  their  habits.  They  frequent  a  few  of  both  the  salt-water 
and  fresh-water  marshes  in  this  State,  from  the  middle  of  May 
until  the  latter  part  of  August.  They  spend  their  time  in  pro- 
curing the  insects,  on  which  they  habitually  feed,  from  the 
reeds  and  grasses,  among  which  they  move  with  great  agility. 
Being  rather  less  shy  than  the  Short-billed  Marsh  Wrens,  they 
can  more  often  be  seen,  frequently  in  their  favorite  attitude, 
with  their  tail  cocked  in  the  air. 

(d).  They  have  a  harsh  chatter,  if  it  can  properly  be  so 
called,  a  peculiar  sound ;  but,  I  have  never  heard  them  sing, 
nor  have  I  ever  heard  a  well-authenticated  case  of  another 
person  doing  so. 

There  are,  I  regret  to  say,  no  pretty  traditional  tales  to  be 
told  about  our  wrens,  nor  is  there  any  hereditary  affection  for 
them,  such  as  is  felt  for  "Jenny  Wren"  in  England. 

§8.     MotacillidSD.     Wagtails.     (See  §  7.) 
I.     ANTHUS 

(A)  LUDOVICIANUS.  Brown  Lark.  "  Titlark."  "  Pipit." 
li  Wagtail.'' 


80  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

(A  common  migrant,  in  spring  and  autumn,  along  the  coast 
of  New  England.) 

(a).  About  6^  inches  long.  Above,  pure  dark  brown 
("  olive-shaded  "  ?  ),  slightly  streaked.  Under-parts  and  super- 
ciliary line,  light  buffy-brown.  Breast  and  sides  dusky-streaked. 
Tail  dark  ;  outer  tail-feathers  partly  white. 

(b).  The  Titlarks  breed  chiefly  in  Arctic  countries,  and 
never  in  New  England. 

(c) .  They  pass  through  Massachusetts  in  spring  and  autumn, 
when  traveling  to  and  from  their  summer-homes,  and  are  then 
common  on  the  sea-shore,  "in  the  Fresh  Pond  marshes  of 
Cambridge,"  and  sometimes  in  old  fields.  They  usually  collect 
in  loose  flocks,  and  feed  on  seeds  and  insects,  which  they  pick 
up  on  the  ground,  where  they  can  run  with  ease  and  rapidity. 
They  have  a  singular  habit  of  jerking  their  tails,  which  is  very 
noticeable.  When  disturbed,  they  generally  fly  away  to  quite 
a  distance  and  high  in  the  air,  resuming  their  labors,  if  they 
may  be  so  called,  when  they  alight.  They  retire  in  summer  to 
breed  in  Labrador  and  other  cold  countries,  where  they  are  said 
to  sing. 

(c?).  When  with  us. their  only  note  is  a  feeble  one,  a  simple 
chirp,  which  is  often  repeated. 

§  9.  The  SylviCOlid.se,  or  American  warblers,  form  a 
group,  which  may  perhaps  be  best  defined  negatively.  By  the 
omission,  however,  of  the  Icterince  (or  chats),  who  probably 
should  be  ranked  as  a  family  intermediate  between  the  warblers 
and  tanagers,  their  characteristics  may  be  considered  the  follow- 
ing. Length,  4-6^  inches  ;  bill  twice  as  long  as  high  ;  commis- 
sure entirely  straight  or  slightly  curved,  unless  interrupted  by  a 
terminal  notch  ;  nostrils  exposed  ;  tarsus  scutellate  ;  "  hind  toe 
shorter  than  the  middle  ;"  primaries  nine  (fig.  4).  It  is  doubt- 
ful how  many  subfamilies  there  should  be,  but  the  following 
well-defined  groups  exist. 

Seiurince,  or  lark-warblers  (I).  Bill  notched,  scarcely  bris- 
tled. Birds  streaked  beneath.  Tail  not  marked  or  forked. 

Geothtypince,   or   thicket -warblers    (II,   III).    Bill   notched, 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  81 

scarcely  bristled.  Birds  wholly  unstreaked.  Tail  not  marked 
or  forked.  In  Geothlypis,  the  icings  are  approximately  equal 
in  length  to  the  tail.123 

Helminthophagince,  or  worm-eating  warblers  (IV,  V,  VI). 
Bill  acute,  unbristled,  and  unnotched23  (pi.  1,  fig.  7). 

Mniotiltince,  or  creeping  warblers  (VII,  VIII).  Bill  scarcely 
bristled,  and  never  (very)  distinctly  notched ;  hind-toe  much 
longer  than  its  claw.  (Except  in  structure,  however,  the  Parulse 
and  Mniotiltse  are  widely  different.) 

SylvicolincE,  or  wood-warblers  (IX,  X).  Bill  notched,  and 
with  short  bristles  (pi.  1,  fig.  8).  Tail  not  unmarked,  unless 
in  cestiva,  where  it  is  slightly  forked.  In  other  cases  white- 
blotched.  Perissoglossce  are  characterized  by  the  tongue. 

Setophagince,  or  fly-catching  warblers  (XI,  XII).  Bill  notice- 
ably broader  than  high,  also  notched,  usually  hooked,  and  always 
with  long  bristles23  (pi.  1,  fig.  9). 

This  last  group  is  ranked  as  a  subfamily,  the  others  being 
united  by  Dr.  Cones  as  Sylvicolince,  though  Prof.  Baird  further 
sets  apart  the  Geothlypince.  (For  remarks  on  Icterince,  see  §10.) 
The  warblers  are,  no  doubt,  to  many  persons  the  most  charm- 
ing of  our  birds.  They  are  eminently  peaceful,  and  prettily 
colored,  brightly,  sometimes  brilliantly.  Musically,  however, 
they  are  generally  surpassed  by  the  thrushes,  vireos,  and 
finches.  They  are  insectivorous,  migratory,  and  in  some  cases 
gregarious,  except  in  summer.  Among  their  nests  are  some 
of  the  neatest  and  prettiest  specimens  of  bird-architecture. 
The  eggs  are,  for  the  most  part,  four  or  five,  white,  spotted 
with  brown  and  lilac. 

I.   SEIURUS 

(A)   NOVEBORACENSIS.     Water  " Thrush."    Water  "  Wagtail." 
(Common,    perhaps    locally    so,    during    their    migrations 

through  Massachusetts,  where,  however,  a  few  breed.) 

(a).   o£-6  inches  long.     Dark  brown  above  (tinged  with 

olive).     Superciliary  line  and  under  parts  white,  tinged  with 

23  Characteristics  underscored  do  not  belong  to  other  warblers. 
7 


82  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

yellow.  Throat  and  breast  thickly  spotted  with  very  dark 
brown.  "  Feet  dark." 

(&).  The  nest  is  usually  built  on  or  near  the  ground,  in  a 
swamp  or  at  least  the  neighborhood  of  water.  The  eggs  of 
each  set  are  usually  four,  average  -85  X  '6  7  of  an  inch,  though 
variable  in  size,  and  in  coloration  closely  resemble  those  of  the 
Golden-crowned  "  Thrush"  (C,  b).  A  nest,  which  I  found 
near  Boston,  contained  fresh  eggs  in  the  first  week  of  June. 

(c).  The  Water  "Thrushes"  are  to  be  found  in  northern 
New  England  as  summer-residents,  but,  though  a  very  few 
pass  the  summer  in  Massachusetts,  they  are  common  in  this 
State,  or  at  least  parts  of  it,  onty  during  their  migrations  —  in 
the  third  and  fourth  weeks  of  May,  and  the  first  or  second  of 
September.  While  in  the  neighborhood  of  Boston,  they  remain 
near  streams  and  bodies  of  water  or  in  wet  woodland,  and  pick 
up  the  little  insects,  and  other  things  upon  which  they  feed, 
almost  exclusively  from  the  ground,  often  wading,  however,  in 
shallow  water.  When  sojourning  here,  they  are  not  veiy  shy, 
and  it  is  easy  to  approach  them  so  as  to  watch  their  peculiar 
motions,  which  recall  those  of  the  sandpiper,  and  are  yet 
partially  characterized  by  a  constant  jerking  of  the  tail  —  a 
habit  which  belongs  to  several  other  common  birds,  such  as  the 
Pewee,  who  depresses  the  tail,  however,  instead  of  jerking  it 
upwards.  The  Water  "Thrushes"  are,  on  the  other  hand, 
very  shy  in  their  delightful  summer-homes,  and  would  almost 
escape  notice,  but  for  their  very  charming  song.  As  it  is,  they 
are  rarely  seen,  for  they  are  very  nimble  on  the  ground,  and  on 
man's  approach  leave  their  paddling  in  the  mountain-brooks, 
and  their  pleasant  labors  on  the  banks,  to  hide  in  thickets  or 
underbrush.  Imagine  a  forest,  which  man  has  never  invaded, 
and  through  it  flowing  a  cool,  clear  stream,  whose  course  is 
broken  by  the  rocks,  round  which  it  bends,  or  over  which  it 
falls  into  some  foaming  pool,  and  you  will  know  the  haunts  of 
these  birds  ;  imagine  music,  which  can  hardly  be  excelled,  and 
you  can  faintly  realize  the  charms  of  such  places,  if  you  do 
not  already  know  them. 

(d).   "The  Water  'Thrushes'  song  is  loud,  clear,  and  ex- 


OF  NEW  ENGLAND.  83 

quisitely  sweet,  and  begins  with  a  burst  of  melody,  which  be- 
comes softer  and  more  delicate  until  the  last  note  dies  away, 
lost  in  the  ripple  of  the  stream,  above  which  the  birds  are  gen- 
erally perched.  It  is  probably  sometimes  repeated  at  night,  as 
is  the  song  of  the  Wood  '  Wagtail,'  and  how  enchanted  should 
I  be  to  hear  it  in  the  coolness  of  the  woods  and  stillness  of 
the  night."  It  may  quite  often  be  heard  in  spring,  during  the 
migrations  and  the  season  of  courtship,  as  well  as  the  ordinary 
note  of  these  birds,  a  sharp  chick,  which  usually  expresses 
alarm.  As  I  have  heard  it,  however,  it  is  a  simple  song, 
merely  characterized  by  unusual  loudness  and  clearness.  It  is 
greatly  to  be  regretted  that  not  more  persons  are  familiar  with 
the  pleasing  music  of  the  Water  "Thrushes,"  whose  love  of 
retirement  has  unfortunately  allowed  few  others  than  natural- 
ists to  know  them. 

(B)  LUDOVICIANUS.  Large-billed  Water  "  Thrush."  Water 
Warbler. 

(So  far  as  I  know,  the  only  instances  known  of  this  bird 
coming  to  Massachusetts  and  northern  New  England,  are 
those  recorded  by  Mr.  Allen,  who  shot  one  "April  28,  1869, 
on  Mount  Tom,"  and  by  Mr.  Irving  Frost,  who  shot  another 
«*  at  Norway,  Maine,  in  May,  1865.") 

(a).  About  six  inches  long.  Like  the  last  species,  but  be- 
low buffy,  chiefly  behind,  with  fewer  and  less  prominent  streaks 
(none  on  the  throat),  and  with  "  legs  pale." 

(fr).  The  nest  and  eggs  are  like  those  of  the  common  Water 
Thrush,  but  the  latter  are  a  little  larger,  averaging  -90X'70  of 
an  inch. 

(c) .  The  Large-billed  Water  Thrushes  have  a  very  different 
habitat  from  their  immediate  relations,  and  very  rarely  occur 
in  New  England.  They  are  closely  allied  to  the  Water  Wag- 
tails in  habits  ;  like  those  birds,  frequenting  woodland  and  the 
neighborhood  of  water,  and  being  addicted  to  wading  and  to 
jerking  their  tails. 

(d) .  Their  ordinary  note  is  probably  the  same  chuck,  but  their 
song  is  said  to  be  more  glorious  than  that  of  the  other  species, 


84  LAND-BIRDS   AKD   GA&E-B1RD9 

which  I  have  just  described.  It  begins  with  loud,  clear,  and* 
tinging  notes,  and  ends  with  the  softer  notes,  which  die  away 
almost  imperceptibly.  It  was  this  song  that  Wilson  described 
as  having  heard  the  Water  Thrush  utter  in  the  vast  cane-brakes 
of  the  South,  where  these  birds  find  a  home  during  a  part  of 
the  year. 

(C)  AUROCAPILLUS.  Golden-crowned  "  Thrusli."  « Oven- 
bird."  "  Wagtail." 

(In  Massachusetts  a  common  summer-resident.) 

(a).  6-6 J  inches  long*  Olive  above.  Below  white.  Breast 
and  sides  (darkly  or)  black-streaked.  Crown  orange,  bordered 
by  black  stripes.  (Details  omitted.) 

(-6).  The  nest  is  placed  on  the  ground,  in  the  woods.  It  is! 
usually  lined  with  hairs,  and  is  generally  but  not  invariably 
roofed.  The  eggs  of  each  set  —  only  one  being  commonly  laid 
in  Massachusetts,  and  that  about  June  first,  or  perhaps  earlier 
—  are  usually  four,  averaging  between  -90  X  '70  and  -80  X  '62 
of  an  inch.  They  are  subject  to  considerable  variation,  but 
are  generally  (creamy)  white,  with  either  minute  lilac  markings 
about  the  crown,  or  markings  of  reddish-brown  and  faint  lilac 
scattered  (not  very  thickly)  chiefly  in  blotches,-  either  all  over 
the  egg,  or  only  about  the  greater  end. 

(c).  The  birds,  of  whom  I  am  about  to  write,  are  variously 
called  Golden-crowned  "  Thrushes,"  having  formerly  been 
classed  with  the  thrushes24  (and  their  crown  being  dull  orange), 
"  Oven-birds,"  because  of  the  usual  construction  of  their  nests, 
and  "  Wagtails,"  because  of  their  habit  of  flirting  their  tails-, 
by  which  name  I  shall  refer  to  them.  They  a*e  common 
summer-residents  throughout  New  England  ;  much  less  so,  how- 
ever, in  the  northern  parts,  though  known  to  breed  in  Arctic 
countries.  They  generally  reach  Massachusetts  in  the  first 
week  of  May  and  leave  it  in  September,  sometimes  lingering 
almost  until  October,  quite  unobserved,  because  of  their  rarely 
broken  silence  at  that  season.  They  frequent  woodland  of 

**  Mr*  Maynard  adheres  to  this  arrangement. 


OP  -HEW   ENGLAND.  8S 

•various  kinds,  but  pine-groves  are  perhaps  their  favorite  haunts- 
In  such  places  they  are  usually  to  be  seen  on  the  ground,  walk- 
ing about  quietly,  silently,  and  with  an  amusing  deliberateness,— 
and  picking  up  their  food  from  among  the  fallen  leaves ;  but 
they  betake  themselves  to  trees  (rather  than  to  bushes),  when 
frightened,  when  engaged  in  their  pretended  or  real  quarrels 
during  courtship,  or  when  they  wish  to  utter  their  peculiar 
ohant.  They  are  endowed  with  strong  parental  affection,  and, 
when  the  nest  is  approached,  both  male  and  female  exhibit 
great  concern,  or  the  latter,  if  disturbed  whilst  sitting  on  her 
nest,  feigns  lameness,  as  many  other  ground-nesting  birds  do, 
and  flutters  nimbly  away,  until,  having  led  the  unwary  pursuer 
to  a  distance,  she  "takes  to  wing." 

(d).  The  Wagtails'  loud  monotony  —  wee-chee,  wee-chee, 
wee-chee,  wee-chee,  wee-chee,  wee-chee^wee-chee,  wee-chee,  wee-chee, 
wee-chee, — which  is  repeated  rapidly  with  a  steadily  increasing 
volume,  is  heard,  at  intervals,  throughout  the  day.  Their 
ordinary  notes  are  a  chuck  of  alarm,  and  a  sharp  chick,  em- 
ployed -chiefly  during  the  period  of  mating.  At  night  I  have 
often  heard  the  male  sing  very  sweetly,  his  chatter  being 
followed  by  a  low  musical  warble,  such  as  I  have  rarely  heard 
him  utter  during  the  day,  except  sometimes  at  dusk.  He  gen- 
erally pours  out  this  music  while  descending  through  the  air 
from  a  height  to  which  he  has  just  mounted ;  but  these  per- 
formances are  almost  exclusively  confined  to  the  season  when 
Ms  mate  is  sitting  on  her  eggs  or  young. 

The  Wagtails  are  much  oftener  heard  than  seen,  the  more 
so  that  they  are  never  gregarious ;  but  the  oddity  of  their 
familiar  chant,  the  quaintness  of  their  habits,  and  their  strong 
conjugal  and  parental  affection,  must  ever  endear  them  to  the 
appreciative  naturalist. 

II.   GEOTHLYPIS 

(A)  TRICHAS.  Maryland  "Yellow-throat"  Black-masked 
Ground  Warbler. 

(A  common  summer-resident  throughout  New  England.) 
^a).  About  five  inches  long.      $  olive-green  above.    Fere- 


8&  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

head,  and  a  broad  bar  through  the  eye,  black,  bordered  above 
by  grayish.  Belly  white.  Other  under  parts,  yellow.  9  with 
no  black  or  grayish.  More  olive  above.  Head  browner* 
Beneath,  white,  yellow  less  and  paler. 

(&).  The  nest  is  usually  placed  on  the  ground — almost  in- 
variably beside  a  brook  or  in  a  swamp — but  occasionally  in  a 
thicket  or  briar.  It  is  composed  of  (leaves)  fine  grasses,  etc., 
is  often  lined  with  hairs,  and  is  sometimes  roofed.  The  eggs 
average  -70  X  *55  of  an  inch,  and  are  white,  sometimes  with 
no  markings,  but  commonly  with  a  few  reddish-brown  blotches 
about  the  greater  end,  or  with  a  ring  about  the  crown  of  fine 
reddish-brown  and  lilac  markings,  or  with  numerous  spots  and 
blotches  of  the  same  colors  distributed  over  the  entire  sur- 
face. They  vary  greatly  in  coloration,  but  the  ground-color 
is  always  (  ?)  white,  and  is  not  usually  much  marked.  In  all 
parts  of  New  England  two  sets  of  these  eggs  are  laid  annually, 
as  a  rule,  in  Massachusetts  the  first  generally  appearing  in  the 
last  week  of  May. 

(c).  The  "Maryland  Yellow- throats "  are  probably  (on  an 
average,  throughout  New  England)  the  most  abundant  of 
our  warblers  in  summer,  and  in  certain  parts  of  Maine  and 
New  Hampshire  are  nearly  the  most  common  birds.  They 
eome  to  Massachusetts,  from  their  southern  winter-homes,  in 
the  first  or  second  week  of  May,  and  do  not  altogether  leave 
it  before  October.  On  their  arrival,  before  retiring  to  the 
places  where  they  build  their  nests,  they  spend  much  of  their 
time  in  trees,  often  those  on  cultivated  estates ;  but,  later  in 
the  season,  they  betake  themselves  to  swamps,  thickets,  and 
bushes  along  the  roadsides,  and  are  then  seen  chiefly  on  or 
near  the  ground.  They  constantly  move  their  tails,  both  when 
on  the  ground,  and  when  hopping  from  twig  to  twig,  for  they 
rarely  take  other  than  short  flights.  In  their  haunts,  which 
cannot  be  well  defined  or  enumerated,  they  are  ever  busy,  when 
not  interrupted,  in  catching  the  insects  and  caterpillars,  upon 
which  they  feed  ;  and  yet,  though  not  shy,  they  are  continually 
watchful,  and  mindful  of  intruders. 

(cf),.  Besides  a  sharp  cliucky  which  is  loud  enough  to  attract. 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  87 

the  attention  of  every  passer-by,  a  simple  chick,  less  often 
heard,  and  a  chatter,  much  finer  and  less  harsh  ^han  that  of 
the  Cat-bird,  the  "Maryland  Yellow-throats"  have  a  charac- 
teristic set  of  notes,  which  resemble  the  syllables  wee-chee-chee, 
repeated  several  times,  with  a  marked  emphasis  on  the  wee. 
This  is  varied  to  wee-chee-chee-wee,  which  is  repeated  in  the 
same  manner,  and  again  to  a  song,  which  is  not  unlike  that  of 
the  Yellow  Warbler,  though  sufficiently  distinct. 

The  "Maryland  Yellow-throats"  are  among  our  most  bene- 
ficial birds,  and  cannot  in  any  way  do  injury  to  man  or  his 
property.  Whoever  is  unfamiliar  with  them  can  easily  make 
their  acquaintance,  and  a  charming  acquaintance  it  will  prove 
to  be.  In  a  certain  place,  where  I  took  many  walks,  these 
birds  seemed  to  be  traveling  companions,  whenever  I  followed 
the  highways,  so  constantly  did  I  see  them  along  the  road- 
sides. 

(B)   PHILADELPHIA.     Mourning  Warbler. 

(Quite  common  (locally)  in  certain  parts  of  northern  New 
England  as  a  summer-resident,  but  a  very  rare  migrant  through 
Massachusetts,  where  none  pass  the  summer,  so  far  as  I  know.) 

(a).  Five  inches  or  more  long.  Olive  above.  Beneath, 
bright  yellow.  Head,  warm  (ashy-)  gray.  Throat  black,  often 
waved  with  gray. 

(b).  The  eggs  and  nest  correspond  closely  to  those  of  the 
Maryland  Yellow-throat  in  every  respect,  but  the  former,  so  far 
as  I  know,  are  never  either  plain  white  or  coarsely  marked. 

(c).  The  Mourning  Warblers  are  among  the  birds  who  are 
extremely  rare  in  Massachusetts,  even  during  the  migrations, 
though  they  breed  quite  commonly  in  certain  parts  of  northern 
New  England,  and  also  in  places  much  further  to  the  south- 
ward. During  their  occasional  brief  sojourn  in  this  State,  in 
the  latter  part  of  May,  and  still  more  rarely  in  September, 
they  usually  frequent  the  haunts  of  the  Maryland  Yellow- 
throats,  but  are  also  sometimes  seen  examining  the  foliage  of 
tall  trees  (up  the  trunks  of  which,  for  a  little  way,  I  have 
strong  reason  to  believe  that  they  sometimes  scramble).  I 


88  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

invariably  see  in  spring  a  few  pairs  in  the  "  scrub,"  especially 
where  swampy.  In  their  summer-homes  they  inhabit  copses 
and  thickets  in  open  spots,  finding  their  food  in  piles  of  brush, 
on  the  ground,  etc.,  never,  however,  jerking  their  tails  in  the 
manner  of  their  relations. 

(d).  The  Mourning  Warblers  have  a  sharp  chirp,  a  feeble 
tsip,  and  a  warbled,  liquid  song  (likened  to  that  of  the  House 
Wren,  Water  Thrush,  and  Maryland  Yellow-throat),  which  is 
generally  delivered  from  a  high  perch. 

III.   OPORORNIS 

(A)   AGiLis.25     Connecticut  Warbler. 

(A  migrant  in  New  England.  Extremely  rare  in  spring, 
and  generally  rare  in  autumn,  though  more  than  a  hundred 
specimens  were  taken  at  Cambridge  in  two  years,  when  these 
birds  were  extraordinarily  abundant  in  fall.) 

(a).  About  5^-  inches  long.  Above,  olive-green,  becoming 
ashy-tinted  on  the  head.  Eye-ring  whitish.  Throat  (and  up- 
per breast),  ashy  or  brownish.  Other  under  parts,  yellow. 
Crown,  olive  in  autumn. 

(6).  I  believe  that  the  nest  and  eggs  of  these  birds  have 
never  been  discovered  by  any  ornithologist. 

(c).  The  Connecticut  Warblers  have  hitherto,  with  two  re- 
markable exceptions,  been  very  rare  migrants  through  Mas- 
sachusetts ;  but  they  may  become  more  common  hereafter.  I 
have  seen  them  but  once  in  spring  (then  only  an  individual  on 
the  tenth  of  May),  and  but  a  few  times  in  September.  The 
following  observations  were  made  at  the  Fresh  Pond  Marshes 
of  Cambridge,  in  the  autumns  of  1870  and  1871,  and  illustrate 
the  habits  of  these  birds. 

"Mr.  Henshaw  found  them  almost  constantly  engaged  in 
seeking  their  food  on  the  ground.  When  startled  they  would 
fly  up  to  the  nearest  bush,  upon  which  they  would  sit  perfectly 


35 The  Kentucky  Warbler  (0.  formosus')  may  stray  to  New  England,  though  I 
know  no  instance  of  its  so  doing.  It  has  been  known  to  breed  in  Eastern  New 
York. 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  89 

motionless,  in  a  manner  closely  resembling  the  Thrushes.  If 
not  farther  disturbed  they  immediately  returned  to  the  ground, 
*  *  *.  If  greatly  startled  they  took  a  long  flight  among  the 
bushes,  and  could  rarely  be  found  again." 

(d).  I  have  heard  them  utter  only  tsips  and  chirps  whilst  in 
their  usual  haunts,  namely,  swampy  thickets,  and  shrubbery 
near  them.  I  have  never  heard  their  song,  nor  read  any  de- 
scription of  it. 

IV.   HELMITHERUS 

(A)   VERMIVORUS.    Worm-eating   Warbler.126 

(Though  found  in  Maine,  this  species  very  rarely  comes  so 
far  to  the  north-eastern  part  of  the  United  States  as  to  reach 
New  England.) 

(a).  About  5]  inches  long.  Greenish-olive  above.  Head 
and  under  parts,  buff.  The  head  is  marked  with  two  dark 
stripes  bordering  the  crown,  and  two  running  from  the  eyes. to 
the  back. 

(b).  The  nest  is  placed  on  or  near  the  ground.  The  eggs 
are  described  as  averaging  about  '70  X  '55  of  an  inch,  and 
being  pure  white,  minutely  spotted  with  reddish-brown,  chiefly 
at  the  larger  end,  where  lilac  is  intermixed. 

(c).  The  Worm-eating  Warblers  so  seldom  come  to  this 
State,  that,  I  regret  to  say,  I  have  never  seen  them  here. 
The  various  accounts  of  their  habits  and  notes  which  I  have 
read  are  more  or  less  conflicting  and  unsatisfactory  ;  but  from 
them  I  have  gathered  that  the  Worm-eating  Warblers  inhabit 
both  woodland  and  shrubbery,  and  usually  feed  on  caterpillars 
and  spiders,  which  they  find  on  the  ground,  or  "among  the 
dead  leaves  of  a  broken  branch,"  being  very  nimble  in  secur- 
ing their  prey.  They  are  never  gregarious,  but,  even  during 
their  migrations,  travel  alone  or  in  pairs,  sometimes,  however, 
with  their  young  in  autumn. 

(d).   Their  notes  are  "a  feeble  chirp,"  a  "complaining  call" 


28  The  closely  allied  Swainson's  Warbler  (H.  Swainaoni)  has  been  erroneously 
reported  from  Massachusetts. 


90  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

of  "tsee-dee-dee,"  and  a  song  which  has  been  variously  de- 
scribed, but  which,  from  all  accounts,  does  not  seem  to  be  a 
very  pleasing  one. 

I  regret  that  I  am  obliged  to  write  brief,  and  on  that  account 
less  interesting  biographies  (if  I  may  so  far  flatter  myself)  of 
some  of  the  warblers,  about  whom,  because  of  their  general 
rarity  here,  I  know  little  and  cannot  obtain  much  information. 

V.    PROTONOTARIA 

(A)   CITR^EA.    Protlionotary  Warbler. 

(So  far  as  I  know,  there  is  but  one  authentic  instance  of  this 
bird  being  captured  in  New  England  —  then  at  Calais,  Maine, 
on  October  30th!). 

(a).  About  5J  inches  long.  Golden-yellow.  Back  oliva- 
ceous. Rump,  light  ashy-blue  ;  wings  and  tail  darker.  Tail- 
feathers  marked  with  white. 

(6).  Dr.  Brewer  speaks  of  three  nests.  One  of  these  "  was 
built  within  a  Woodpecker's  hole  in  a  stump  of  a  tree,  not  more 
than  three  feet  high ; "  another  "  was  built  within  a  brace-hole 
in  a  mill ;"  and  a  third  "  in  a  hollow  snag,  about  five  feet  from 
the  ground,  in  the  river  bottom."  The  eggs  average  *68  X  '55 
of  an  inch,  and  are  cream-white  with  lilac,  purplish-brown  (and 
black)  markings. 

(c) .  The  Prothonotary  Warbler  have  little  or  no  right  to  be 
included  in  the  list  of  the  birds  of  Massachusetts,  and  I  have 
never  seen  them  here  (unless  perhaps  once  a  pair,  at  dark  in 
October) .  They  prefer  the  borders  of  streams,  and  neighbor- 
hood of  water,  to  drier  ground,  and  swampy  thickets  to  the 
woods  and  forests.  Otherwise  their  habits  are  essentially  like 
those  of  the  Worm-eating  Warbler,  and  other  allied  species. 

(d).  Their  ordinary  note  is  said  to  be  like  the  .feeble  tsip  of 
the  White-throated  Sparrow,  but  of  more  characteristic  notes  I 
know  nothing.  The  "  Prothonotaries  "  strongly  resemble  the 
Blue-winged  Yellow  Warblers,  who  are  much  more  likely  to  oc- 
cur in  southern  New  England,  and  therefore  should  an  inex- 
perienced student  meet  either  in  his  rambles  through  this  State, 
let  him  carefully  note  which  it  is. 


OF   NEW  ENGLAND.  91 

VI.   HELMINTHOPHAGA 

(A)  PINUS.     Blue-winged  Yellow  Warbler. 

(No  one,  I  believe,  has  reported  the  presence  of  this  bird  in 
New  England,  except  Mr.  Samuels.) 

(a).  About  five  inches  long.  Like  the  Prothonotary  War- 
bler ;  but  rump  (like  the  back)  olive,  wing-bars  and  tail-blotches 
white  (or  nearly  so),  and  eye-stripe,  or  lore,  black. 

(b).  The  nest  is  placed  on  the  ground,  in  wooded  land.  The 
eggs  average  about  '70  X  "55  of  an  inch,  and  are  white,  with 
a  few  reddish-brown  spots  about  the  greater  end. 

(c).  The  Blue-winged  Yellow  Warblers,  being  foreigners  to 
New  England,  I  can  only  describe  through  others.  Wilson 
says  of  this  species  that  it  "  haunts  thickets  and  shrubberies, 
searching  the  branches  for  insects  ;  is  fond  of  visiting  gardens, 
orchards,  and  willow  trees,  of  gleaning  among  blossoms,  and 
currant  bushes ;  and  is  frequently  found  in  very  sequestered 
woods,  where  it  generally  builds  its  nest."  Mr.  Samuels,  whose 
account  has  been  rejected  by  some  ornithologists,  says :  "In 
1857,  in  the  month  of  May,  about  the  12th  or  15th,  I  found  a 
small  flock  in  a  swamp  in  Dedham,  Mass.  They  were  actively 
employed  in  catching  flying  insects,  and  were  so  little  mistrust- 
ful, that  they  permitted  me  to  approach  quite  near,  and  observe 
their  motions.  I  noticed  nothing  peculiar  in  them ;  but  they 
had  all  the  activity  and  industry  of  the  true  arboreal  Warblers." 

(d).  Dr.  Brewer  says  that  "  in  regard  to  the  song  of  this 
bird,  Mr.  Tripp'e  states  that  its  notes  are  very  forcible  and 
characteristic.  He  describes  them  as  a  rapid  chirrup  resem- 
bling chuuchicli,  k'-Orre-r'  r'  r'  r1  r'  ( !).  According  to  Mr. 
Ridgway  they  are  wonderfully  like  the  lisping  chirrup  of  the 
Coturniculus  Passerinus"  (or  Yellow- winged  Sparrow). 

(B)  CHRTSOPTERA.     Golden-winged  Warbler. 

(A  rather  uncommon,  or  even  rare;  summer-resident  in  Mas- 
sachusetts.) 

(a).  About  five  inches  long.  Above,  slaty-blue.  Whole 
crown  and  broad  wing-bars,  rich  yellow.  Below,  white.  Throat, 


$2  'LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

and  stripe  through  eye,  black.  Tail-feathers  white-blotched. 
^  with  less  pure  colors  than  $ . 

(b).  The  nest  is  placed  on  the  ground,  in  woodland,  gener- 
ally near  swamps,  and  is  variously  lined.  Four  eggs  taken  by 
me  from  a  nest  found  near  Boston  average  about  468X'55  of 
an  inch,  and  are  white,  marked,  chiefly  at  the  great  end,  with 
reddish-brown.  They  were  taken  on  the  8th  of  June  and  cor- 
respond with  those  found  by  Mr.  Maynard  on  June  12th,  1869. 

(c).  The  Golden-winged  Warblers  have  at  last  been  recog- 
nized as  summer-residents  in  Massachusetts  of  no  very  great 
rarity,  and  are  not  so  largely  migrant  through  this  State,  as 
was  once  supposed,  for  indeed  it  probably  forms  nearly  their 
most  northern  limit.  They  reach  the  neighborhood  of  Boston 
about  the  10th  of  May,  and  do  not  retire  to  the  South  until 
'September.  During  the  summer  they  inhabit  woodland,  par- 
ticularly that  which  is  swampy,  but  soon  after  their  arrival 
I  have  several  times  met  them  among  the  trees  on  cultivated 
-estates,  where  I  have  noticed,  contrary  to  the  observations  of 
some  other  persons,  that  they  remain  chiefly  on  or  near  the 
ground  (not  infrequently,  however,  among  the  higher  branches), 
and  rarely  catch  insects  on  the  wing.  On  the  contrary,  they 
often  recall  the  titmice.  They  'have  a  habit,  observable  in 
their  relations,  of  occasionally  hopping  from  the  ground  to 
snap  an  insect  from  the  foliage  above. 

(d).  Their  notes  are  a  tsip,  a  louder  chip,  and  a  sharp  alarm- 
mote.  They  also  have  a  brief  and  rather  unattractive  song 
•of  four  or  five  peculiar  syllables,  uttered  in  a  characteristic, 
rather  harsh  tone,  and  resembling  dsee-dsee-dsee-dsee. 

BB.  LEUCOBRONCHIALIS.  Wliite-tliroated  {Golden-winged) 
Warbler. 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  the  "  Quarterly  Bulletin  of 
the  Nuttall  Ornithological  Club,"  for  April,  1876  (Vol.  I,  No.  1). 

•" Description  of  a  New  Species  of  Helmintliopliaga ;  by  William 
"Brewster.     Helminthophaga  leucobronchialis.     PL  1. 

<"  Adult  male ;    summer  plumage.     Crown,  bright  yellowy 


sl'ightly  tinged  with  olive  on  the  occiput.  Greater  and  middle 
wing-coverts,  yellow,  not  so  bright  as  the  crown.  Superciliary 
Mne,  cheeks,  throat  and  entire  under  parts ;  silky-white,  with 
a  slight  tinge  of  pale  yellow  on  the  breast.  Dorsal  surface 
—  exclusive  of  nape  which  is  clear  ashy  -^-washed  with  yellow, 
as  are  also  the  outer  margins  of  the  secondaries.  A  narrow 
line  of  clear  black  passes  from  the  base  of  the  upper  mandible, 
through  and  to  a  short  distance  behind  the  eye,  interrupted 
however  by  the  lower  eyelid,  which  is  distinctly  white.  No 
traces  of  black  upon  the  cheeks  or  throat,  even  upon  raising 
the  feathers.  Bill  black.  Feet,  dark  brown.  Dimensions — - 
length^  5-19  ;  extent,  7-88  ;  wing,  2-45  j  tarsus,  -71  \  tail,  1'86  ; 
eulmen,  '53. 

"  It  will  be  seen  from  the  above  description  that  this  bird 
resembles  most  closely  the  Golden-winged  Warbler  {Helmin* 
thopaga  ch  rysoptera . } 

"The  entire  absence  of  black  or  ashy  on  the  cheeks  and 
throat,  the  peculiar  character  of  the  superciliary  line,  and  the 
white  lower  eyelid,  present  however  differences  not  to  be  recon- 
ciled with  any  known  seasonal  or  accidental  variation  of  that 
species.  The  restricted  line  of  black  through  the  eye  gives 
the  head  a  remarkable  similarity  to  that  of  Helminthophaga 
pinus,  but  the  semblance  goes  no  farther. 

"  The  specimen  above  described  was  shot  by  the  writer  in 
Newtonville,  Mass.,  May  18,  1870.  It  was  in  full  song  when 
taken  and  was  flitting  about  in  a  thicket  of  birches  near  a 
swampy  piece  of  oak  and  maple  woods.  As  nearly  as  can  be 
remembered  it  did  not  differ  much  in  either  voice  or  actions 
from  H.  cJirysoptera.  The  first  notice  of  this  specimen  ap* 
peared  in  the  '  American  Sportsman/  vol.  v,  p.  33.  *  *  *  * 

"  As  previously  remarked  the  differences  in  coloration  in  the 
present  bird  from  any  of  its  allies  are  so  great,  and  of  such  a 
nature,  as  to  render  any  theory  of  accidental  variation  exceed- 
ingly unlikely,  while  hybrids  — at  least  among  the  smaller  spe- 
cies of  undomesticated  birds  — -  are  of  such  shadowy  and  prob- 
lematical existence  that  their  probable  bearing  upon  the  pres- 
ent case  is  hardly  worthy  of  consideration." 


94  LAND-BIRDS  AND  GAME-BIRDS 

(C)   RUFICAPILLA.   Nashville  Warbler. 

(Quite  common  as  a  migrant  through  this  State,  where 
few  regularly  breed.) 

(a).  About  4^  inches  long.  Above,  dull  olive.  Beneath, 
yellow.  Back  of  Jiead,  slate.  Crown  more  or  less  marked 
with  chestnut-red.  In  9  ?  head-markings  indistinct,  and  crown 
patch  often  wanting. 

(&).  The  nest  is  placed  on  the  ground,  either  in  some  open 
part  of  the  woods,  or  amongst  the  shrubbery  of  some  southerly- 
facing  bank.  It  is  commonly  composed  of  dead  leaves,  strips 
of  thin  bark,  grasses,  etc.,  and  is  often  lined  with  hairs.  The 
eggs  of  each  set  are  four,  averaging  about  *63  X  '50  of  an  inch, 
and  are  here  laid  about  the  first  of  June.  The  eggs  are  white, 
and  vary  between  the  extremes  of  being  finely  and  thickly 
marked  about  the  crown  with  lilac,  and  being  thinly  and 
coarsely  blotched  at  the  greater  end  with  reddish-brown  ;  these 
markings  being  sometimes  combined. 

(c).  The  Nashville  Warblers  are  summer-residents  through- 
out New  England,  but  they  are  apparently  more  numerous  in 
the  northern  than  in  the  southern  portions.  In  Massachusetts 
they  are  rare  during  summer,  but  are  common  at  the  time  of 
their  migrations,  which  here  occur  about  the  middle  of  May27 
and  of  September.  In  spring  and  autumn,  whilst  traveling, 
they  habitually  frequent  lightly- timbered  woodland,  and  some- 
what, also,  shrubbery  about  houses,  but  where  they  are  resi- 
dent in  summer  they  chiefly  affect  dry  scrub-land,  often  that 
which  is  partially  wooded.  Their  constant  activity  and  indus- 
try, combined  with  their  general  adherence,  while  traveling, 
to  the  higher  branches  of  the  pines,  chestnuts,  oaks,  and 
maples,  which  they  usually  prefer  to  other  trees,  often  renders 
it  difficult  to  detect  their  presence,  even  when  quite'  abundant. 
They  travel  singly  or  in  pairs  and  remain  long  in  one  tree  or 
cluster,  not  being  easily  frightened.  The  two  great  difficulties 
in  studying  the  habits  of  our  warblers,  are  the  almost  nonde- 

87 1  have  seen  them  from  the  5th  until  the  20th. 


OF   NEW  ENGLAND.  95 

script  coloration  of  some  species  in  autumn,  and  the  fact  that 
many  kinds,  even  in  spring,  can  only  be  identified  by  most  nat- 
uralists upon  a  close  examination,  to  obtain  which  it  is  nec- 
essary to  shoot  the  birds,  when  of  course  their  habits  can  no 
longer  be  studied.  It  is  for  these  reasons  that  it  is  important 
to  know  the  minor  notes  of  various  species,  for  by  these  one 
can  often  easily  distinguish  two  species  otherwise  closely  alike, 
especially  if  such  notes  are  associated  with  other  more  marked 
characteristics.  Thus  one  can  in  this  way  always  distinguish 
"  Yellow-rumps  "  at  a  great  distance,  for  though  their  ordinary 
"chuck"  is  very  much  like  that  of  the  "Black-polls"  (who  are 
here  in  autumn  at  the  same  time),  yet  their  manner  of  flight  is 
different. 

(cZ).  The  ordinary  notes  of  the  Nashville  "Warblers  are  a 
simple  chip,  a  loud  chink,  and  a  peculiar  alarm-note  ( ?)  entirely 
characteristic,  which  is  hardly,  I  think,  as  Wilson  says,  much 
like  "the  breaking  of  small  dry  twigs,  or  the  striking  of  small 
pebbles  of  different  sizes  smartly  against  each  other  for  six  or 
seven  times,"  though  it  may  be  recognized  by  that  description. 
It  is  "loud  enough,"  as  that  author  says,  "to  be  heard  at  the 
distance  of  thirty  or  forty  yards.'* 

Their  song  is  simple  but  pretty,  more  resembling  that  of  the 
common  Summer  Yellow-bird  (D.  cestiva)  or  Chestnut-sided 
Warbler  than  that  of  any  other  species.  It  may  be  represented 
by  the  syllables  ivee' -see-wee' -see,  ivit'-a-wU'-a-iuit'. 

(D)    CELATA.     Orange-crowned  Warbler. 

(This  species  was  reported  from  Maine  by  Audubon,  and  a 
specimen  was  shot  by  Mr.  Allen  at  Springfield  on  the  fifteenth 
of  May,  1863.)  /^jt.wl. 

(a).  Essentially  like  the  Nashville  Warbler  (C)  ;  but  with 
the  slate  of  the  latter  wanting,  the  chestnut  supplied  by  orange- 
brown,  and  the  yellow  green- tinged. 

(6).    Nest  and  eggs  probably  like  Ihose  of  the  last  species. 

(c).  The  Orange-crowned  Warblers  are  unknown  to  me 
personally,  but  probably  there  is  little  or  no  difference  between 
their  habits  and  those  of  the  Nashville  Warblers,  to  whom  they 


96  LAND-BIRDS   AND   GAME-BIRDS 

are  very  closely  related.  They  probably  frequent  open  wood- 
land and  orchards,  and  display  a  like  agility  in  capturing  their 
prey  among  the  higher  branches. 

(d).  Their  song  Dr.  Gambel  "describes  as  commencing  in 
a  low,  sweet  trill,  and  ending  in  tshe-up."  "Their  usual  note 
is  a  sharp  chip." 

Dr.  Brewer  thinks  that  Audubon's  .account  of  this  bird  is 
incorrect,  but  whether  that  is  the  case  or  not  I  do  not  know. 

Bonaparte,  in  his  continuation  of  Wilson's  Ornithology, 
says :  "  During  winter,  the  Orange-crowned  Warbler  is  one 
of  the  most  common  birds  in  the  neighbourhood  of  St.  Augus- 
tin,  Florida,  almost  exclusively  frequenting  the 'orange  trees. 
Their  manners  resemble  those  of  the  kindred  species,  though 
they  have  a  remarkable  habit  of  constantly  inflecting  the  tail 
like  the  Pewee.  The  note  consists  of  a  chuck,  and  a  faint 
squeak,  but  little  louder  than  that  of  a  mouse/' 

(E)   PEREGRIN  A.     Tennessee  Warbler. 

(A  very  rare  migrant  through  Massachusetts,  though  a  sum- 
mer-resident in  northern  New  England.) 

(a).  About  4f  inches  long.  Above,  yellow-tinted  olive- 
green,  with  modifications.  Superciliary  line  and  under  parts, 
white  (or  yellowish).  9  duller  above.  (See  synopsis,  p.  81.) 

(6).  The  nest  and  eggs  are  essentially  like  those  of  the 
Nashville  Warbler,  though  the  eggs  vary,  and  exhibit  certain 
peculiar  forms,  and  though  the  nest  is  "often  placed  in  woods." 

(c) .  The  Tennessee  Warblers  are  extremely  rare  in  Eastern 
Massachusetts,  and  are  nowhere  common  in  New  England, 
except  in  a  few  northern  localities,  such  as  Lake  tlmbagog, 
where  they  are  summer-residents.  They  journey  through  this 
State  in  the  latter  part  of  May,  and  again  about  the  middle  of 
September.  I  have  met  them  here  twice  in  open  woodland ; 
Mr.  Maynard  shot  four  males,  on  apple-trees  in  Newtonville, 
between  the  18th  and  24th  of  Ma}^,  1869  ;  a  pair  were  shot  by 
Mr.  William  Brewster,  near  Mt.  Auburn  on  high  oak  trees ; 
and  Mr.  Allen  has  "taken  it  repeatedly  at  Springfield,  where 
he  has  always  esteemed  it  rare."  Audubon  considered  these 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  97 

birds  active,  and  also  expert  fly-catchers,  and  speaks  of  their 
mellow  tweet,  uttered  when  they  are  on  wing,  or  when  fluttering 
before  clusters  of  leaves.  Wilson  has  written  of  the  first 
specimen  that  he  obtained  that  "  it  was  hunting  nimbly  among 
the  young  leaves,  and  like  all  the  rest  of  the  family  of  Worm- 
eaters,  seemed  to  partake  a  good  deal  of  the  habits  of  the 
Titmouse." 

(d).  "Its  notes  were  few  and  weak."  "Its  song  bears  a 
resemblance  to  that  of  H.  ruficapilla,  only  the  notes  of  the 
first  part  are  more  divided,  and  the  latter  part  is  shriller.  The 
male,  while  singing,  is  generally  perched  on  some  high  dead 
branch.  In  this  habit  it  resembles  the  H.  ruficapilla  and  H. 
cJirysoptera."  (Maynard.)  "Its  notes  resemble  the  low,  sub- 
dued whistle  of  the  common  summer  Yellow-bird."  (Board- 
man.) 

v 

VII.   MNIOTILTA 

(A)   VARIA.     Black  and  White  "  Creeper." 

(A  common  summer-resident  in  southern  New  England, 
though  rarer  further  to  the  northward.) 

(a).  Five  or  more  inches  long.  Belly  white.  Otherwise 
black.  Wings  barred,  tail  spotted,  and  other  parts  streaked, 
with  white.  But  9  white  beneath  (obsoletely)  streaked  on 
the  sides.  (Details  omitted.) 

(6).  The  nest  is  built  in  woods  and  groves,  and  is  placed  on 
the  ground  (rarely,  in  the  hole  of  a  tree).  The  eggs  average 
*65X'55  of  an  inch;  are  elliptical;  and  are  white  (cream- 
tinted),  covered  with  small  and  rather  dark  brown  blotches 
and  spots,  chiefly  at  the  great  end,  or  evenly  sprinkled  with 
small  light  reddish-brown  markings.  One  set  of  four  or  five 
is  here  laid  in  the  last  week  of  May  (sometimes  earlier  or  later), 
and  occasionally  a  second  when  the  season  is  more  advanced. 

(c).  The  Black  and  White  "Creepers"  are  very  common 
summer-residents  throughout  southern  New  England,  though 
rare  in  the  more  northern  portions,  where  in  many  large  tracts 
even  of  wooded  land  the}'  are  not  to  be  found  at  all.  They 
reach  Eastern  Massachusetts,  sometimes  as  early  as  the  last 
8 


y»  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

week  of  April,  sometimes  not  until  the  second  week  of  May, 
and  remain  here  until  September,  during  a  part  of  which  month 
migrants  of  this  species  continue  to  pass  through  from  the 
North  on  their  way  to  the  South.  The  warblers  generally  in- 
habit woodland  of  various  kinds,  but  occasionally  visit  orchards 
and  like  places  near  the  habitations  of  man,  toward  whom  they 
exhibit  no  shyness,  and  also  seek  their  food  among  the  bushes 
of  the  "  scrub,"  where  they  find  the  caterpillars,  small  insects, 
and  insect-eggs,  upon  which  they  habitually  feed.  They  differ 
from  all  our  other  warblers  in  their  method  of  obtaining  their 
food,  which  is  to  a  certain  extent  entirely  distinctive,  though 
much  like  that  of  the  true  creepers  (Certhiidoe) ,  from  whom 
they  principally  differ  in  being  much  less  S}Tstematic  in  their 
researches,  and  in  occasionally  busying  themselves  upon  the 
ground.  They  pass  most  of  their  time  in  scrambling  about  the 
trunks  and  larger  limbs  of  trees,  rarely  perching,  and  also  in 
running  over  old  fences,  such  as  contain  rotten  and  moss-grown 
or  lichen-covered  wood.  While  thus  engaged,  they  almost 
invariably  keep  their  head  pointed  toward  the  direction  in 
which  they  are  moving.  They  rarely  take  other  than  short 
flights,  when  not  traveling,  but  after  remaining  for  a  moment 
on  the  trunk  of  one  tree,  seldom  longer,  fly  to  a  neighboring 
one.  They  are  never  strictly  gregarious,  but  they  possess 
such  conjugal  and  parental  affection  that  they  are  often  seen  in 
pairs  (or  family-groups).  When  the  female  is  frightened  from 
her  nest  on  the  ground,  which  is  often  partially  concealed,  she 
usually  feigns  lameness,  and  flutters  away  with  trailing  wings 
and  tail,  in  the  hope  of  distracting  the  intruder.  (Dr.  Coues 
speaks  of  these  birds  building  in  the  holes  of  trees,  which, 
says  Dr.  Brewer,  "  is  probably  an  error,  or,  if  ever  known  to 
occur,  an  entirely  exceptional  case."  I  have  found  two  of 
their  nests  near  Boston  thus  situated,  of  which  the  first  was 
in  a  pine-grove  in  the  cavity  of  a  tree  rent  by  lightning,  and 
about  five  feet  from  the  ground,  and  the  other  on  the  top  of  a 
low  birch  stump,  which  stood  in  a  grove  of  white  oaks.  These 
facts  show  how  erratic  birds  frequently  are  in  changing  their 
habits,  and  how  much  corroborative  testimony  is  needed  to 
establish  a  single  fact  in  Natural  History.) 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  99 

(d).  The  Black  and  White  "Creepers"  have  a  very  great 
variety  of  notes,  and  perhaps  utter  more  distinct  sounds,  exclu- 
sive of  song,  than  any  other  of  our  birds,  though  it  is  very 
possible  that  other  warblers,  with  whom  I  am  less  familiar, 
possess  the  same  power.  The  notes  of  the  so-called  "Creep- 
ers" are  a  weak  but  pure  tsfp,  a  harsher  tsip,  much  like  that  of 
the  Chestnut-sided  Warbler,  a  loud  chick,  which  sometimes 
becomes  a  chink,  an  alarm-note,  chick-a-chick,  chick-chick,  a 
chant,  if  it  can  properly  be  so-called,  of  tsee-tsee-tsee-tsee,  which 
is  uttered  in  another  tone  so  as  to  sound  more  like  chee-chee- 
chee-chee,  and  their  rather  feeble  and  unmusical  refrain  of  wee- 
see,  wee-see,  wee-see,  wee-see,  icee-see.  To  the  last  and  most 
frequently  repeated  chant  a  few  sweet  and  musical  notes  are 
generally  added  in  May  and  June,  and  these  combined  form 
their  only  song. 

There  are  hardly  any  birds  more  familiar  to  the  ornithologist 
in  the  woods  than  the  Black  and  White  "Creepers,"  since  they 
are  common,  are  free  from  shyness,  and  usually  remain  near 
the  ground,  with  their  boldly  marked  plumage  in  conspicuous 
contrast  with  the  bark  of  the  white  oaks  and  chestnuts,  to 
which  they  so  often  turn  their  attention.  They  are  eminently 
useful,  and  few  creatures  do  more  good  in  protecting  the 
growth  and  life  of  our  forest-trees,  and  the  trees  of  woodland 
freshly  sprung  up  to  supply  the  place  of  a  former  growth. 

VIII.   PARULA 

(A)   AMERICANA.   Blue  Yellow-backed  Warbler.    "BlueYelloiv- 


(A  summer-resident  in  northern  New  England,  and  usually 
a  common  migrant  through  Massachusetts,  where  a  very  few 
breed.) 

(a).  About  4^  inches  long.  Above,  blue,  ashy-  tin  ted,  with 
a  yellowish  patch  on  the  back.  Lore  black.  Throat  and  part 
of  the  breast,  yellow,  with  a  rich,  dark  brownish  patch.  Upper 
throat  immaculate.  Other  under  parts,  wing-bars,  and  tail- 
spots,  white.  9  rather  duller,  with  less  distinct  markings. 

(Details  omitted.) 


100 


LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 


(6).  The  nest  is  globular,  with  an  entrance  on  the  side,  and 
is  composed  principally  of  hanging  mosses.  It  is  usually 
placed  in  the  woods,  twenty  or  more  feet  from  the  ground,  at 
the  end  of  a  bough  of  some  hard-wood  tree  or  evergreen.  It 
usually  contains  four  or  five  freshly  laid  eggs  in  early  June, 
which  average  about  *62  X  "48  of  an  inch,  and  are  white  (or 
cream-tinted)  with  spots  and  confluent  blotches  of  reddish- 
brown  and  lilac,  chiefly  about  the  crown. 

(c) .   The ' '  Blue  Yellow-backs"  are  summer-residents  through- 


Fig.  4.    Blue  Yellow-backed  Warbler 


out  the  eastern  United  States,  more  commonly  in  Northern 
Maine  and  New  Hampshire  than  in  Massachusetts,  where 
only  a  few  breed,  chiefly,  probably,  in  the  valleys  of  the 
Connecticut  and  Nashua  Rivers.  Near  Boston  they  are  ex- 
tremely rare  in  summer,  but  are  generally  common  in  the  sec- 
ond and  third  weeks  of  May  and  September,  during  their 
migrations,  being,  however,  sometimes  rare,  and  sometimes 
extremely  abundant.  I  can  in  no  way,  I  believe,  better  de- 
scribe their  habits  than  by  detailing  the  observations  which  I 
made  upon  them  this  spring  (1875),  when  they  were  very  nu- 
merous in  my  immediate  neighborhood.  They  came  on  the  elev- 
enth of  May,  and  did  not  wholly  disappear  until  the  twenty- 
second  of  that  month,  after  which  I  saw  none,  except  a  few  in 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  101 

autumn.  They  chiefly  frequented  the  budding  maples,  the 
orchard-trees,  and  the  shrubs  and  bushes  which  were  just  push- 
ing forth  their  young  leaves  ;  sometimes  alone,  more  often  in 
pairs,  and  less  commonly  in  small  parties  of  three  and  four. 
They  constantly  skipped  from  twig  to  twig,  much  as  a  Chicka- 
dee does,  often  turning  their  heads  in  peculiar  attitudes  so  as 
to  reach  the  crannies  behind  the  buds,  and  occasionally  even 
hanging  head  downwards,  the  better  to  effect  their  purposes 
through  their  constant  activity.  They  would  often  take  short 
flights  into  the  air  in  order  to  seize  some  passing  insect,  and 
then  would  immediately  return  to  their  former  avocations, 
usually  on  the  same  tree.  A  great  charm  in  the  disposition  of 
these  pretty  and  graceful  little  birds  was  their  entire  fearless- 
ness of  man,  which  was  so  absolute,  that  I  many  times  was 
within  two  or  three  feet  of  them,  even  when  I  was  not  motion- 
less. The  "Blue  Yellow-backs,"  whilst  migrating,  may  also 
be  found  in  the  more  open  and  lightly  timbered  woodland,  but 
seldom  among  the  pines.  In  their  summer-homes  they  inhabit 
both  the  evergreens  and  hard-wood  trees,  wherever  grouped 
in  abundance,  and  very  generally  prefer  the  higher  branches, 
where  they  build  their  nests  (for  they  never,  so  far  as  I  know, 
descend  to  the  ground).  These  nests  are  beautiful  objects, 
and  very  admirable  architectural  works,  which  distinguish  their 
builders  from  all  the  other  members,  at  least  the  American 
members,  of  their  large  family,  the  warblers  ;  for  though  nearly 
all  of  them  build  neat  and  pretty  nests,  none  ever  construct 
nests  so  striking  in  appearance  as  these,  which  are  globular, 
with  an  entrance  on  one  side.  They  are  often  suspended  from 
the  bough  of  a  hemlock,  and  are  usually  composed  of  rather 
long  Spanish  moss,  which  is  a  very  pretty  material  for  nest- 
building.  Wonderful  must  that  instinct  be  which  enables  the 
little  warblers  to  weave  the  long  threads  together  with  security 
and  compactness,  and  finally  to  arrange  them  in  the  desired 
form  that  the  globular  shape  may  be  so  nearly  perfected.  From 
cases  of  which  I  have  known,  I  have  strong  reason  to  believe 
that  these  nests  in  Massachusetts  are  sometimes,  perhaps  acci- 
dentally, not  entirely  rounded,  but  are  left  largely  uncovered, 


102  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

which  I  at  one  time  supposed  to  be  due  to  the  warmer  climate, 
but  I  have  since  learned  that  specimens  from  the  Southern 
States  are  like  those  from  Maine,  and  perfect  in  shape. 

(d).  The  ordinary  notes  of  the  "Blue  Yellow-backs"  are  a 
tsliip,  a  chick,  often  loud,  a  cry  of  cliick-a-cliick-chick,  and 
occasionally  a  trill,  which  approaches  a  chatter.  Their  song, 
which  I  have  often  heard  in  May,  as  well  as  June,  though 
rather  weak  and  unmusical,  is  yet  quite  loud,  more  so,  I  think, 
than  some  other  authors  have  represented.  It  begins  with  a 
trill  of  rising  inflection  and  marked  accent,  which  is  followed 
either  by  twitters,  or  by  notes  which  remind  me  of  those  of 
the  "Black-throated  Greens,"  or  by  still  others  like  them.  In 
this  song  I  have  sometimes  recognized  a  peculiar  hoarse  tone, 
which  seemed  to  characterize  it  strongly. 

IX.   PERISSOGLOSSA 

(A)   TIGRINA.     Cape  May  Warbler. 

(In  Massachusetts  generally  extremely  rare,  especially  in 
autumn.  In  summer,  "common  at  Umba^og,"  Maine.) 

(a).  5-5 j- inches  long.  Above,  yellowish-olive  ;  back  dark- 
streaked.  Crown  dark.  Lores  black.  Beneath,  bright  yellow. 
Breast  and  sides  black-streaked.  Throat  strongly  tinged  with 
the  bright  orange-brown  of  the  ear-coverts.  Rump  yellow. 
Wing-bars  and  tail-spots,  white  ;  former  often  fused. 

(6).  A  nest  found  in  the  neighborhood  of  Boston,  closely 
resembled  that  of  the  Yellow  Bird  (§  X,  A)  in  every  respect. 
The  five  eggs,  which  were  fresh  in  the  first  week  of  June,  also 
were  like  those  'of  that  species,  and  probably  unlike  the  usual 
form,  described  by  Dr.  Brewer  as  measuring  "  -70  X  '55  of  an 
inch,"  and  having  "a  pinkish-white  ground,  blotched  with  pur- 
ple and  brown  of  various  shades  and  tints.  They  are  disposed 
chiefly  about  the  larger  end,  usually  in  a  ring." 

(c).  The  Cape  May  Warblers  are  very  rare  in  Massachusetts, 
more  so,  however,  during  some  }Tears  than  during  others,  and 
are  so  very  seldom  to  be  seen  near  Boston  that  I  have  very 
little  information  to  offer  to  my  readers  in  regard  to  their  habits. 
Mr.  Maynard  has  never  seen  them  in  the  eastern  part  of  this 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  103 

State,  where,  however,  some  were  shot  from  (blossoming  ?) 
apple-trees  by  Dr.  Bryant,  but  he  found  them  common  at 
Umbagog,  Maine,  where  they  spent  their  time  in  the  tops  of 
the  taller  evergreens.  In  northern  New  England  they  are 
summer-residents,  but  in  the  southern  parts  can  hardly  be  con- 
sidered as  other  than  very  rare  migrants.  I  have  occasionally 
seen  them  in  May,  but  only  once  in  September,  which  is  partly 
due  to  their  frequenting  so  much  the  higher  branches,  where 
they  are  not  easily  detected. 

X.   DENDRCECA 

(A)  ESTIVA.  (Summer)  Yellow  Bird?8  (Blue-eyed)  Yellow 
Warbler.  Golden  Warbler. 

(In  southern  New  England  a  very  common  summer-resident.) 

(a).  About  five  inches  long.  Yellow  with  modifications. 
Breast,  and  even  the  back,  streaked  (often  indistinctly)  with 
orange-brown.  Tail-feathers  not  blotched  with  white  as  in  all 
other  Dendro2cce. 

(b).  I  shall  describe  the  nest  at  length,  as  it  is  essentially 
like  those  of  several  other  species.  It  is  composed  outwardly 
of  very  fine  grasses,  interwoven  with  woolly  or  cottony  mate- 
rials, which  form  a  substantial  wall.  This  is  often  covered 
with  caterpillar's  silk,  and  is  lined  with  wool,  down  from  plants 
(particularly  a  dun-colored  kind),  horse-hairs,  and  rarely  feath- 
ers. Nuttall  aptly  calls  this  structure  "  neat  and  durable."  It 
is  to  be  found  on  cultivated  grounds  and  in  gardens,  as  well  as 
in  pastures  and  swamps,  though  even  a  different  situation  is 
sometimes  chosen  ;  it  is  generally  placed  in  a  low  bush,  such  as 
the  barberry  or  currant-bush,  but  occasionally  in  the  branches 
of  a  shade-tree  at  a  considerable  height  above  the  ground. 

The  eggs  average  -67  X  *50  of  an  inch,  and  are  usually 
either  grayish-white,  green-tinted,  with  spots  and  blotches  of 
lilac  (which  is  often  obscure)  and  various  browns  chiefly  about 
the  larger  end,  or  (more  rarely)  white,  with  lilac  (obscured)  and 
sand}7  or  yellowish-brown  markings  grouped  principally  about 

*«  The  Goldfinch  (Chrysomitris  tristris,  §  15,  IV,  A),  is  also  called  the  Yellow  Bird. 


104  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

the  crown.  The  above  colorations  are  the  extremes,  between 
which  there  are  various  intermediate  forms.  It'  is  remarkable 
that  the  eggs,  though  so  variable,  are  very  generally  character- 
istic of  the  birds,  and  unlike  those  of  other  warblers.  In 
Eastern  Massachusetts  four  or  five  eggs  are  laid  about  the  first 
of  June,  but  no  second  brood  is  raised  unless  some  accident 
befalls  the  first. 

(c).  The  Yellow  Birds  are  the  most  common  and  familiar  of 
all  our  warblers  ;  and  who  is  there  that  does  not,  or  who  ought 
not  to  know  these  beneficial  and  charming  little  birds,  who  are 
so  pleasantly  associated  with  the  arrival  here  of  actual  spring, 
since  generally  in  the  first  week  of  May  they  come  from  the 
South  ?  Throughout  the  summer  they  are  to  be  found  about  us, 
but  when  autumn  comes  they  leave  us,  and  generally,  before 
the  first  week  of  September  has  passed  away,  the}''  have  gone. 
Yet  they  are  very  hardy,  and  stray  to  the  Arctic  shores,  though 
hardly  anywhere  common  to  the  northward  of  Massachusetts, 
where  they  are,  in  most  parts  of  the  State,  abundant.  They 
inhabit  pasture-land  and  cultivated  grounds,  being  not  infre- 
quently seen  near  houses,  and  never  retiring  to  the  woods. 
They  are  not  sufficiently  social  to  gather  in  flocks,  but,  on  the 
contrary,  though  of  a  pleasant-tempered  and  affectionate  dis- 
position, seem  always  to  be  absorbed  in  the  search  of  insects, 
through  our  orchard-trees,  shade-trees,  and  shrubbery.  They 
never  seek  for  these  insects  on  the  ground,  or  in  the  higher 
tree-tops,  and  rarely  seize  them  in  the  air,  but  whilst  pursuing 
them  continually  move  among  the  lower  branches,  occasionally 
taking  short  flights  from  one  place  to  another. 

(d).  The  Yellow  Bird's  song  is  simple,  yet  very  pleasing, 
and  one  does  not  become  tired  of  it,  though  repeated  often,  as 
it  has  several  variations.  It  nearly  resembles  the  syllables 
wee-chee-wee-chee-wee-i-u,  but  is  like  the  song  of  several  other 
warblers.  The  loud  chirp  of  the  Yellow  Birds  is  often  heard 
from  the  branches,  among  which  they  are  busy,  and  often  is 
repeated  plaintively,  when  their  nest  is  disturbed. 

Though  probably  less  familiar  toward  man  than  many  people 
suppose,  the  Yellow  Birds  do  not  repel  his  advances,  and  cer- 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  105 

tainly  greatly  benefit  him  by  their  constant  industry  in  de- 
stroying insects,  particularly  small  caterpillars  and  canker- 
worms,  of  which  they  are  very  fond. 

(B)     DISCOLOR.     Prairie  Warbler. 

(In  Eastern  Massachusetts,  a  summer-resident  of  no  great 
rarity.) 

(a).  About  4 1  inches  long.  Olive  above,  with  brick-red 
spots  on  the  back.  Under  parts,  bright  yellow.  A  peculiar 
mark  on  the  side  of  the  head,  and  side-streaks  on  the  throat 
and  breast,  black.  (Details  omitted.) 

(b).  The  nest  of  the  Prairie  Warbler  differs  from  that  of  the 
Yellow  Bird  (A)  in  being  usually  lined  thickly  with  horse- 
hairs (whereas  the  other  is  often  lined  with  a  dun-colored 
plant-down),  and  in  being  almost  invariably  semi-pensile.  It 
is  usually  placed  within  a  few  feet  of  the  ground,  in  a  bush  or 
low  tree,  in  a  rocky  pasture  or  the  "  scrub."  The  eggs  average 
•65X'52  of  an  inch,  and  are  pure  white,  generally  either  with 
delicate  lilac  (and  a  few  inconspicuous  light  brown)  markings, 
which  form  a  ring  about  the  crown  (such  being  those  which  I 
have  found  near  Boston),  or  with  lilac,  purplish,  and  umber- 
brown  markings.  Near  Boston  one  set  of  three  or  four  eggs 
is  laid  in  the  first  week  of  June. 

(c).  The  Prairie  Warblers  are  among  the  smallest  and  most 
retired  of  their  family.  They  are  summer-residents  in  the 
eastern  United  States  so  far  to  the  northward  as  Massachu- 
setts, in  which  State  they  are  rather  rare  in  the  western  part, 
but  quite  common  in  some  other  portions.  In  certain  localities 
near  Boston  they  are  quite  abundant  from  the  second  or  third 
week  of  May  until  the  latter  part  of  August.  They  frequent 
almost  exclusively  rocky  pasture-lands  and  the  "  scrub,"  and  I 
have  but  once  seen  or  heard  them  elsewhere,  in  that  case  hav- 
ing  heard  their  song  in  some  shrubbery  on  a  cultivated  estate,  ^-f-  • 
far  from  their  usual  haunts.  Though  perhaps,  as  Wilson  re- 
marks, easily  approached  and  not  shy,  yet  they  almost  invaria- 
bly shun  the  neighborhood  of  man,  and  live  quite  solitarily  in 
pairs  among  the  pastures  where  they  build  their  nests.  There, 


106  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

when  household  duties  do  not  interfere,  they  are  busied,  not 
with  such  marked  activity  as  some  other  warblers,  from  dawn 
until  evening,  in  searching  among  the  branches  of  low  bushes 
and  saplings  for  the  small  caterpillars  and  insects  upon  whicji 
they  feed.  They  do  not  usually  make  any  demonstrations 
if  their  nest  is  examined,  but  remain  quietly  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  it  until  they  can  safely  return.  They  do  not  attempt 
to  lead  off  the  intruder  by  feigning  lameness,  as  many  other 
warblers  do,  especially  those  who  habitually  build  their  nests 
on  or  very  near  the  ground. 

(d) .  Their  song  cannot  fail  to  attract  the  attention  of  every 
person  who  hears  it,  and  who  takes  an  interest  in  birds.  Its 
notes,  resembling  the  syllables  zee-zee-zee-zee-zee-zee-zee,  are 
uttered  in  a  very  peculiar  tone,  and  each  note  is  a  little  higher 
and  louder  than  the  preceding.  The  birds,  on  uttering  it, 
frequently  depress  their  tail.  The  ordinary  note  of  the  often 
silent  Prairie  Warblers  is  a  chirr. 

(C)   PENNSYLVANICA.     Chestnut-sided  Warbler. 

(In  southern  New  England,  a  common  summer-resident.) 

(a).  About  5-]  inches  long.  Back,  light  ashy-yellow,  black- 
streaked.  Under  parts,  white.  Wing-bars  the  same,  generally 
forming  one  patch.  Crown,  yellow,  bordered  by  white.  Lore, 
continuously  with  a  line  through  the  eye  and  one  down  to  a 
chestnut-red  patch  on  the  side  of  the  breast,  black. 

(6).  The  nest  is  usually  coarser  than  that  of  the  Yellow 
Bird  (A),  and  contains  fewer  woolly  materials.  It  is  often 
composed  outwardly  of  narrow  strips  of  thin  bark  or  dried 
grasses,  mixed  with  a  few  bits  of  plant-down,  and  inwardly  of 
very  fine  straw,  which  is  lined  with  hairs.  Such  is  the  descrip- 
tion of  two  nests  before  me.  The^nests  are  commonly  placed 
from  two  to  eight  feet  above  the  ground  in  a  low  bush,  shrub, 
or  sapling,  and  are  either  built  in  a  fork  or  otherwise  secured 
(but  are  never  pensile).  The  situations  generally  chosen  are 
the  "  scrub-lands,"  or  open  woods  in  low  grounds  which  contain 
bushes,  vines,  etc.  Near  Boston  they  are  usually  finished,  and 
contain  four  or  five  fresh  eggs,  about  the  first  of  June.  The 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  107 

eggs  average  -68  X  '50  of  an  inch,  and  are  generally  white 
with  purplish-  or  reddish-brown  spots  and  blotches,  which  are 
sometimes  confluent.  These  markings  are  either  scattered  over 
the  egg,  more  thickly  at  the  larger  end  than  the  other,  or  are 
grouped  in  a  ring  about  the  crown.  An  egg  of  this  species 
in  my  collection  is  buff  (darker  than  that  of  the  Wood  Pewee) 
with  a  few  lilac  markings,  but  I  have  seen  no  others  like  it. 

(c).  The  Chestnut-sided  Warblers  are  summer-residents 
throughout  New  England,  but  are  much  more  abundant  in  the 
southern  parts  than  further  to  the  northward.  They  reach 
the  neighborhood  of  Boston  in  the  second  week  of  May,  and 
pass  the  entire  summer  here.  They  are  never  gregarious,  but 
usually  they  are  particularly  common  at  the  time  of  their 
spring-migrations,  when  they  frequent  considerably  the  shrub- 
bery and  trees  of  cultivated  estates,  before  retiring  to  their 
summer-haunts.  Their  habits  at  this  time  have  often  reminded 
me  of  those  of  the  "Yellow-rumps,"  for  they  are  often  much 
in  the  air,  taking  flights  from  one  place  to  another  at  quite  a 
height  from  the  ground,  that  is,  from  thirty  to  sixty  feet  above 
it.  At  other  times  they  glean  quietly  among  the  foliage  of  the 
maples,  and  other  -budding  trees,  generally  among  the  lower 
branches.  Occasionally  they  perform  a  rapid  and  graceful 
movement  through  the  air  to  seize  some  passing  insect,  or  stand 
like  a  flycatcher  to  watch  the  flies  and  gnats,  which  they  now 
and  then  secure  by  darting  after  them.  They  never  seek  their 
food  upon  the  ground,  so  far  as  I  know,  and  only  descend  to  it 
when  picking  up  materials  for  their  nests.  Their  haunts  in 
summer  are  chiefly  pasture-lands,  "tscrub,"  and  open,  moist 
woodlands,  such  as  contain  oaks,  chestnuts,  and  maples,  and 
an  undergrowth  of  bushes,  vines,  and  saplings.  I  have  never 
met  these  birds  in  thick  or  dark  woods,  and  have  but  once  seen 
their  nest  placed  in  an  evergreen,  it  being  in  that  instance  in  a 
low  spruce  by  a  brookside.  It  is  to  be  remembered,  however, 
that  in  different  sections  of  the  country  birds  show  preference 
for  different  kinds  of  land,  and  often  vary  their  habits  to  an 
extent  that  is  surprising,  and  even  confusing.  Finally  come 
those  variations  in  coloration,  caused  by  climate,  which  have 


108  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

caused  so  much  discussion  as  to  species  and  varieties.  All 
this  shows  that  properly  one  man  ought  not  to  write  the  Nat- 
ural History  of  other  than  a  small  tract  of  country,  and  that, 
before  the  habits  of  our  birds  can  be  thoroughly  known,  it 
will  be  necessary  to  station  competent  naturalists,  who  can 
devote  their  whole  time  to  making  observations  and  accurately 
noting  them,  at  various  points  in  the  regions  of  the  different 
faunce,  all  of  whom  shall  work  under  a  system  and  a  superin- 
tendence. This  plan  is  not  at  present  a  feasible  one,  but  the 
advantages  of  it  would  be  numerous,  for  the  flights  of  birds 
(particularly  should  ornithologists  be  stationed  near  meteoro- 
logical observation-posts)  could  be  foretold  with  considerable 
accuracy  to  sportsmen  and  other  ornithologists,  who  are  al- 
ready, however,  by  far  too  destructive. 

(d).  The  ordinary  notes  of  the  Chestnut-sided  Warbler  are 
a  soft  tsip,  a  louder  and  harsher  tsip,  uttered  in  a  peculiar  tone, 
and  much  like  that  of  the  Black  and  White  "Creeper,"  and  a 
rather  loud  chip.  Mr.  Samuels  speaks  of  their  having  "at 
times,  a  rattling  cry  something  like  the  alarm-note  of  the 
Maryland  Yellow-throat."  Their  song  is  attractive  and  mus- 
ical, though  containing  but  a  few  simple  notes.  One  variation 
resembles  the  syllables  wee-see-wee-see-wee-see  (each  of  which  is 
higher  than  the  preceding,  except  the  sixth,  which  is  lower 
than  the  fifth).  The  other  common  variation  is  almost  exactly 
like  the  song  of  the  little  Yellow  Bird  (A) ,  and  consequently 
like  that  of  various  other  warblers. 

(D)  CASTANEA.  Bay-breasted  Warbler.  (Autumnal  War- 
bler?) 

(Through  Eastern  Massachusetts  a  rare  migrant.) 

(a).  About  5 1  inches  long.  Back,  light  ashy-yellow,  black- 
streaked.  Under  parts,  white.  Wing-bars  white,  (generally) 
forming  one  patch.  Forehead  and  sides  of  head,  black.  Crown, 
throat,  and  breast,  chestnut  (or  deep  chestnut-red).  Belly  and 
ear-patch  usually  buff-tinged,  but  sometimes  white.  $  with 
paler  chestnut  than  the  $  . 

(b).   The  nest  is  rather  coarsely  built,  and  is  placed  in  the 


OF   NEW    ENGLAND.  109 

bough  of  an  evergreen  (usually  the  hemlock)  from  ten  to 
twenty  feet  above  the  ground.  Four  or  five  eggs  (in  one  case 
reported  by  Mr.  Maynard,  six)  are  laid  in  Northern  New 
Hampshire  and  Maine  in  the  second  week  of  June.  These 
eggs  average  P68X'50  of  an  inch,  and  are  bluish-green,  with 
markings  of  brown  and  lilac,  generally  gathered  in  a  ring 
about  the  crown. 

(c).  The  Bay-breasted  Warblers  are  among  the  many  species 
who  appear  in  Massachusetts  as  migrants  only,  and  who  pass 
the  summer  in  a  colder  climate.29  They  are,  as  a  rule,  very 
rare  throughout  the  State  in  spring,  and  in  autumn  are  never 
seen  here.  Mr.  Allen,  however,  in  speaking  of  this  species, 
says  that  •"  in  the  Connecticut  valle}'  it  is  generally  more  or 
less  common  and  sometimes  very  abundant." 

The  Bay-breasted  Warblers  arrive  here,  after  leaving  their 
winter-homes  in  the  South,  in  the  third  or  fourth  week  of  May, 
and  frequent  the  woods  and  trees  in  open  lands.  I  have  gen- 
erally seen  them  among  budding  maples,  which  like  willows 
possess  great  attractions  for  the  migrant  warblers,  but  I  have 
also  seen  them  among  pines.  They  are  extremely  active,  and 
busily  seek  for  their  food  among  the  branches,  occasionally 
fluttering  before  the  clusters  of  foliage,  but  they  are  not  very 
shy,  and  usually  permit  a  near  approach. 

They  are  rare  among  the  White  Mountains,  but  Mr.  Maynard 
speaks  of  them  as  being  the  kt  most  abundant  of  the  Sylvtcolidce 
at  Umbagog,"  and  adds  that  "  these  birds  are  found  in  all  the 
wooded  sections  of  this  region  where  they  frequent  the  tops  of 
tall  trees."  He  thinks  that  they  are  "confined  during  the 
breeding  season  to  the  region  just  north  of  the  White  Moun- 
tains range,"  and  makes  the  following  interesting  remarks  on 
their  travels.  "This  species,"  says  he,  "  together  with  Geo- 
tldypis  Philadelphia  and  Helminthophaga  peregrina,  seems  to 
pursue  a  very  eccentric  course  during  the  migrations.  Avoid- 
ing the  eastern  and  middle  States,  the  majority  pass  along  the 


29 1  have  since  learned  that  specimens  have  been  taken  here  in  both  June  and 
July. 


110  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

borders  of  the  Great  Lakes,  through  Ohio,  southern  Illinois 
(Ridgway),  down  the  Mississippi  Valley,  across  into  Texas 
and  so  on  into  Mexico  and  Central  America  where  they  winter. 
Returning  in  spring  they  (at  least  D.  castanea)  pursue  a  more 
southern  route,  keeping  along  the  coast  as  far  as  the  New 
England  States,  where  they  ascend  the  Connecticut  Valley, 
generally  avoiding  eastern  Massachusetts." 

(d).  "  The  first  part  of  the  song  is  like  that  of  the  Black- 
poll  Warbler,  but  it  has  a  terminal  warble  similar  to  that  of 
the  Redstart  to  which  it  bears  a  striking  resemblance,  with  the 
exception  that  it  is  given  with  less  energy."  The  Bay-breasted 
Warblers  are  usually  silent  during  their  migrations. 

NOTE. — The  above  quotations  from  Mr.  Maynard  are  from 
his  pamphlet,  entitled  "  A  Catalogue  of  the  Birds  of  Coos  Co., 
N.  H.,  and  Oxford  Co.,  Me.,  with  Annotations,  etc." 

(E)   STRIATA.   "Black-poll"  Warbler.  Autumnal  Warbler  (?). 

(Common  migrants  through  Massachusetts  both  in  spring 
and  autumn.) 

(a).  About  5J  inches  long.  g.  Back  streaked  with  olivace- 
ous (-ash  ?  )  and  black.  Crown  down  to  the  eyes  black.  Sides  of 
the  head  and  under  parts,  white.  Sides  of  the  breast  marked 
with  black  streaks  which  crowd  into  a  fine  chain  running  to  the 
bill.  Wing-bars  and  -tail-blotches,  white.  9 .  Dusky  olive- 
green  above,  black-streaked.  Under  parts  not  (usually)  pure 
white,  or  very  markedly  streaked. 

(6).  The  nest  is  essentially  like  that  of  the  "  Black-throated 
Green,"  though  coarser.  It  is  usually  placed  near  the  ground, 
in  an  evergreen,  and  always  in  the  thick  woods.  It  has  never 
been  found  in  Massachusetts,  but  in  northern  New  England  it 
is  generally  finished  in  the  latter  part  of  June.  The  eggs  of 
each  set,  usually  four,  average  about  *68X'50  of  an  inch,  and 
are  commonly  (grayish-?)  white  with  spots  and  blotches  of 
purplish  and  different  browns.  The  blotches  predominate,  and 
are  scattered  over  the  whole  egg.  Other  forms  occur. 

(c).  The  Black-poll  Warblers  are  usually  among  the  most 
common  migrants  through  this  State  to  northern  New  England 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  Ill 

and  the  countries  beyond  ;  but,  like  other  migrants,  they  vary 
greatly  in  abundance  from  year  to  year  in  certain  places,  and 
are  occasionally  quite  rare  in  spring  near  Boston.  They  usu- 
ally make  their  appearance  here  late  in  the  season,  and  though 
I  have  seen  them  in  the  middle  of  May,  they  generally  do  not 
arrive  before  the  last  week  of  that  month,  and  then  remain 
here,  or  continue  to  pass  by,  throughout  the  first  few  days  of 
June.  They  at  that  time  frequent  evergreen  and  hard-wood 
trees  indifferently,  hunting  for  insects  among  both  the  lower 
and  higher  branches,  and  occasionally  seizing  them  in  the  air. 
They  are  less  gregarious  than  in  the  fall  of  the  year,  and  one 
often  sees  pairs  or  individuals,  much  more  often  than  when 
they  are  returning,  probably  because  at  the  time  of  their  spring 
migrations  they  are  mated  for  the  summer.  But  a  very  small 
proportion  of  them  pass  the  summer  in  Northern  New  Hamp- 
shire, a  larger  number  being  then  resident  in  Northern  Maine 
and  the  majority  in  Canada  and  Labrador.  They  affect  exclu- 
sively the  woods  and  forests  which  contain  a  great  many  ever- 
greens, and  rarely  visit  the  lightly  timbered  and  more  open 
woodland.  They  return  to  Eastern  Massachusetts  in  the  last 
week  of  September,  and  are  commonly  plentiful  during  a 
greater  part  of  October.  They  often  frequent  pines  in  prefer- 
ence to  all  other  trees,  generally  remain  among  the  upper 
branches  or  in  the  very  tree-tops,  and  spend  most  of  their  time 
in  snapping  up  passing  insects,  which  they  sometimes  take  an 
opportunity  to  do,  whilst  moving  from  one  tree  to  another. 

(cZ).  The  "Black-polls"  have  soft  and  loud  chips,  an  un- 
musical trill,  shorter  than  that  of  the  "  Chipper,"  and  three  or 
four  notes,  suggestive  of  knocking  pebbles  together.  Their 
song  is  monotonous,  weak,  and  unmusical.  It  resembles  the 
syllables  tsi-tsi-tsi-tsi~tsi,  repeated  in  a  nearly  unvarying  tone. 

[EE.  Autumnal  Warbler.  (See  Appendix  E,  family  Sylvi- 
colidce. ) 

I  do  not  propose  to  occupy  much  space  in  discussing  the 
question  : — are  the  Autumnal  Warblers  mentioned  by  Wilson, 
Audubon,  and  Nuttall,  the  young  of  "Black-poll"  or  of  the 


112  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

Bay-breasted  Warblers?  I  have  only  "Wilson's  Ornithology" 
at  hand,  and  unfortunately  no  specimen  of  the  bird  in  question. 
But  the  weight  of  evidence  seems  to  show  that  the  bird  as  col- 
ored and  described  by  Wilson  represents  the  young  of  the 
latter  ;  and  yet  is  it  not  possible  that  he  may  have  accidentally 
obtained  a  young  Bay-breasted  Warbler  from  among  a  com- 
pany of  "Black-polls"?30  Coues  admits  that  the  young  of 
the  two  species  are  so  much  alike  as  often  to  be  indistinguish- 
able. It  is  certain  that  the  small  warblers  seen  here  in  Octo- 
ber, which  resemble  the  Autumnal  Warblers,  are  young  "Black- 
polls,"  as  is  indicated  by  the  fact  of  their  abundance  and  by 
their  habits.  Mr.  Maynard  states  it  as  a  positive  fact. 

Their  note  is  a  feeble  Cedar-bird-like  lisp;  but  Wilson 
speaks  of  the  males  warbling  in  autumn  "  low,  but  very  sweet 
notes,"  which  perhaps  is  a  mistake.  (See  D,  d,  E,  d.)  ] 

(F)  BLACKBURNI^E.  Blackbumian  Warbler.  Hemlock  War- 
bler. 

(Generally  not  a  common  migrant  through  Massachusetts, 
where  this  species  occasionally  breeds.) 

(a).  About  4j  inches  long.  £  dark  above.  Wing-patch, 
white.  Head,  throat,  and  breast,  brilliant  orange,  with  a  border 
to  the  crown  and  a  broad  stripe  through  the  eye  black.  Sides 
black-streaked,  and  belly  nearly  white.  9  essentially  like  9 
striata  (E)  above.  Superciliary  line,  throat  and  breast,  3Tellow. 
Otherwise  like  $ . 

(6).  A  nest  of  this  species,  containing  young,  which  I  found 
in  Northern  New  Hampshire,  was  placed  about  twenty  feet 
from  the  ground  in  a  pine.  Another,  which  I  was  so  fortunate 
as  to  find  in  a  thick  hemlock- wood  near  Boston,  was  also  about 
twenty  feet  above  the  ground.  -It  contained  three  young  and  a 
yet  unhatched  egg,  which  measures  '65X'50,  and  resembles 
the  egg  of  the  Chestnut-sided  Warbler  (D),  being  white,  with 
lilac  and  principally  reddish-brown  markings,  grouped  at  the 


80  The  legs  in  Wilson's  picture  are.  however,  colored  like  those  of  the  "  Black- 
poll,"  and  not  like  those  of  the  "  Bay-breast." 


.OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  113 

larger  end.  Mr.  Maynard  thought  that  the  "  Blackburnians  " 
built  in  the  highest  branches  of  the  spruces  and  hemlocks,  and 
such  is  very  probably  their  custom. 

(c).  The  male  Blackburnian  Warblers  are  the  handsomest 
of  all  their  large  family,  for  the  combination  of  delicacy  and 
brilliancy  in  the  orange  of  their  throat  is  unsurpassed.  It  is 
a  curious  fact  that  they  are  apparently  much  more  numerous 
than  the  females  during  the  migrations,  which  is  the  case  with 
several  other  birds.  This  phenomenon  has  never  been  satisfac- 
torily explained,  and  cannot  be  accounted  for  merely  by  the 
superior  gaiety  of  the  male's  coloration.  It  has  also  been  ob- 
served that  when  traveling  the  males  of  many  birds  precede 
the  females,  and  that  in  winter  they  occasionally  remain  in 
somewhat  colder  climates.31 

The  Blackburnian  Warblers  usually  reach  Eastern  Massa- 
chusetts about  the  tenth  of  May,  though  I  have  seen  them  as 
early  as  the  twenty-first  of  April,  when  I  observed  a  pair  feed- 
ing upon  ivy-berries,  the  insects  upon  which  they  generally 
feed  not  then  being  common.  They  are  usually  rather  rare 
here,  and  make  but  a  brief  stay  among  our  woods  and  trees, 
showing  a  fondness  for  pines  and  other  evergreens.  I  have 
seen  as  many  as  three  males  together,  though  they  more  often 
travel  singly.  They  do  not  often  catch  insects  in  the  air,  but  /  / 
usually  remain  in  trees  at  a  moderate  height.  Mr.  Allen,  in  r 
his  "  Notes  on  Some  of  the  Rarer  Birds  of  Massachusetts," 
says  that  in  "some  seasons  they  are  extremely  abundant  at 
some  localities,  and  commonly  are  not  rare,  except  in  particular 
situations.  Mr.  Scott  observes  that  for  several  weeks  in  May, 
in  1866,  he  could  remain  at  a  single  place  in  the  woods  and 
shoot  ten  to  twenty  per  hour."  This  statement  has  been 
severely  but  amusingly  criticised :  "  several  weeks  must  indi- 
cate at  least  three,  and  had  he  shot  ten  hours  a  day,  as  he  well 
might  have,  he  would  in  that  time  have  shot  three  thousand  or 
more  from  a  single  place  in  the  woods" 


31  The  fact  stated  in  relation  to  their  wintering  has  not,  I  believe,  been  well  de- 
termined. 

9 


114  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

An  interesting  anecdote,  relative  to  these  birds,  has  been 
communicated  to  me  by  a  student  in  the  Institute  of  Tech- 
nology. On  the  eleventh  of  May,  1875,  a  male  of  this  species 
fell  stunned  through  the  ventilator,  on  to  the  floor  of  the  draw- 
ing room  in  the  topmost  story.  He  was  finally  placed  on  the 
sill  of  an  open  window,  from  which,  when  revived  by  the  fresh 
air  and  sun,  he  afterward  took  flight.  In  summer  the  Black- 
burnian  Warblers  are  common  in  northern  New  England, 
where  they  inhabit  woodland,  particularly  evergreen-swamps, 
but  in  Massachusetts  are  extremely  rare,  or  rather  accidental. 

(d).  When  together  in  family-parties,  they  twitter  con- 
stantly. Their  ordinary  note  is  a  c/i(p,  or  weak  syllables  like 
those  uttered  by  the  Golden-crowned  "  Wrens,"  as  tsee-tsee  or 
tsee-tsee-tsee.  Their  song  is  not  very  musical,  though  simple 
and  pleasing.  As  I  have  heard  it  in  their  summer-homes, 
it  resembles  the  syllables  wee-see-wee-see-wee-see  (wee-see-ick) . 
As  heard  in  spring  I  may  liken  it  to  wee-see-wee-see,  tsee-tsee- 
tsee-tsee-tsee-tsee-tsee-tsee.  The  latter  syllables  are  on  an  as- 
cending scale  ;  the  very  last  is  shrill  and  fine. 

(G)    C^ERULEA.     Ccerulean  Warbler.    Blue  Warbler. 

(It  is  possible  and  probable  that  this  species  may  occasion- 
ally stray  to  Massachusetts,  but  I  know  no  instance  of  its 
having  done  so.) 

(a).  4-4£  inches  long.  $  of  an  exquisite  blue,  black- 
streaked.  Under  parts  white,  with  sides  streaked.  Wing-bars 
white.  In  the  (unstreaked  ?  )  9  the  blue  is  greenish,  and  the 
white  yellowish.  Superciliary  line  also  j^ellowish. 

(6).  Audubon  says:  "The  nest  is  placed  in  the  forks  of  a 
low  tree  or  bush,  more  frequently  on  a  dog- wood  tree.  It  is 
partly  pensile,  *  *  *.  The  fibres  of  vines  and  of  the  stalks 
of  rank  herbaceous  plants,  together  with  slender  roots,  com- 
pose the  outer  part,  being  arranged  in  a  circular  manner.  The 
lining  consists  entirely  of  the  dry  fibres  of  the  Spanish  moss. 
The  female  lays  four  or  five  eggs,  of  a  pure  white  colour,  with 
a  few  reddish  spots  at  the  larger  end." 

(c).   I  have  never  seen  the  Cserulean  Warblers,  and  I  have 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  115 

never  known  them  to  stray  so  far  to  the  northward  as  Massa- 
chusetts, though,  indeed,  reported  from  Nova  Scotia.  They  are 
said  to  prefer  the  deep  woods,  where  they  inhabit  the  tree-tops. 
(d).  Audubon  speaks  of  their  song  as  "extremely  sweet 
and  mellow,"  but  Mr.  Ridgway  says  that  they  possess  "only 
the  most  feeble  notes"  (Dr.  Brewer).  This  is  one  instance 
among  many,  and  a  simple  one,  of  disagreement  between  two 
authorities  (in  this  case,  the  former  probably  being  the  less 
trustworthy).  I  have  seen  no  less  than  six  wholly  different 
descriptions  of  the  song  of  one  species,  the  name  of  which  I 
do  not  now  remember,  none  of  which  seemed  to  me  reliable  or 
satisfactory,  and  yet  they  were  all  written  by  men  whom  one 
would  naturally  regard  as  good  authorities.  Moreover,  it  was 
very  evident  that  not  more  than  one  or  two  were  descriptive 
of  the  same  notes,  though  the  bird  in  question  had  but  one 
song.  It  is,  therefore,  certain  that  some  of  these  authors 
attributed  to  this  bird  music  that  it  never  uttered.  In  most 
cases  of  the  kind  it  is  to  be  remembered  that  many  birds  have 
two  songs,  many  variations  of  one  song,  or  a  Simple  unmusical 
chant,  to  which  a  terminal  warble  is  added  in  May  or  June. 

(H)  C^ERULESCENS.  BlacJc-tJiroated  Blue  Warbler.  Canada 
Warbler. 

(Generally  not  very  common  during  their  migrations  through 
Massachusetts.) 

(a).  Five  inches  or  more  long.  <£  ,  slaty-blue  above,  white 
beneath.  Sides  of  head  and  whole  throat,  continuously  jet- 
black.  Wings  and  tail  dark ;  the  former  with  a  large  white, 
spot  on  the  edge  of  the  wing  (at  the  base  of  the  primaries)  and 
no  bars.  $  ,  above  dull  olive-green,  blue-tinged.  Below,  white 
or  yellowish.  Wing-spot  characteristic  but  sometimes  incon- 
spicuous. 

(b).  The  nest  is  probably  always  built  near  the  ground, 
and  most  often  in  an  evergreen.  An  egg  found  by  Mr.  Bur- 
roughs and  described  by  Dr.  Brewer  is  grayish  white,  "marked 
around  the  larger  end  with  a  wreath,  chiefly  of  a  bright  umber- 
brown  with  lighter  markings  of  reddish-brown  and  obscure 


116  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

purple.  A  few  smaller  clottings  of  the  same  are  sparingly 
distributed  over  the  rest  of  the  egg.  Its  measurements  are 
•70  by  -50  of  an  inch." 

(c).  The  Black-throated  Blue  Warblers  are  not  only  summer- 
residents  in  the  more  northern  New  England  States,  but  also 
in  Massachusetts,  where,  however,  they  are  very  rare  as  such, 
unless  in  the  western  and  more  mountainous  portions.  They 
reach  the  neighborhood  of  Boston  in  the  third  week  of  May, 
and  are  more  common  here  from  that  date  until  the  first  of 
June  than  at  any  other  period  of  the  year.  They  return  to 
the  South  in  September,  and  I  have  seen  them  as  late  as  the 
last  day  of  that  month.  An  instance  has  been  reported  of  a 
pair  passing  the  winter  in  Boston,  which  was  a  most  extraor- 
dinary circumstance,  since  their  usual  habitat  at  that  season  is, 
I  believe,  beyond  the  United  States.  Birds,  however,  often 
wander,  so  far  as  direct  evidence  goes,  more  than  a  thousand 
miles  from  their  usual  homes,  sometimes  perhaps  intention- 
ally, but  more  often,  probably,  because  forced  to  do  so  in 
search  of  food,'  or  by  adverse  weather.  It  is  generally  diffi- 
cult to  understand  their  eccentric  movements  on  land,  whereas 
it  is  easy  to  understand  why  birds,  who  have  ventured  out  to 
sea,  should  be  compelled  by  winds  to  deviate  from  their  course. 
When  with  us  in  spring,  the  "Black-throated  Blues"  are  to  be 
seen  generally  in  pairs  or  singly,  but  occasionally  in  small 
companies  of  three  or  four,  in  which  latter  case  quarrels  fre- 
quently arise  between  the  males.  They  are  very  dexterous  in 
obtaining  their  insect-prey ;  sometimes  seizing  it  in  the  air, 
with  the  skill  of  a  true  flycatcher,  and  at  other  times  finding 
it  among  the  branches  of  the  various  trees  which  they  frequent. 
Now  they  twist  their  heads  into  seemingly  painful  postures, 
the  better  to  search  the  crannies  in  the  bark  or  blossoms,  now 
spring  from  a  twig  to  snap  up  an  insect  in  the  foliage  above 
their  heads,  instantly  returning,  and  now  flutter  before  a  cluster 
of  opening  leaves,  with  the  grace  of  a  hummingbird.  Oc- 
casionally they  descend  to  the  ground,  and  are  so  very  tame 
that  once,  when  I  was  standing  motionless,  observing  some  war- 
blers near  me,  one  hopped  between  my  feet  to  pick  up  some 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  117 

morsel  of  food.  I  have  often  been  able  to  make  close  observa- 
tions upon  birds,  by  remaining  entirely  motionless  and  allow- 
ing them  to  gather  about  me,  and  thus  have  accurately  learned 
their  habits,  without  disturbing  their  happiness. 

(d).  The  ordinary  note  of  the  "Black-throated  Blues"  is  a 
simple  chip,  which  is  sometimes  closely  repeated,  after  the 
manner  of  the  Chipping  Sparrow.  They  have  also  a  chatter, 
employed  chiefly  as  a  battle-cry,  and  a  loud  alarm-note,  resem- 
bling the  chuck  of  the  Snow-bird.  The  males  have  an  unmu- 
sical song,  the  tone  of  which  resembles  somewhat  that  of  the 
Blue  Yellow-back's  song,  or  that  of  the  Night  Hawk's  note, 
being  peculiar,  and  rather  harsh  or  guttural.  It  usually  con- 
sists of  three  (rarely  four)  syllables,  of  which  the  last  two  are ' 
the  highest  in  tone  and  the  most  emphatic,  and  sounds  like 
"zwee-zwee-zwee."  It  is  sometimes  varied  and  lengthened  so 
as  to  resemble  the  syllables  [che-wee]  che-wee  [see]  wee-see  zwee. 
It  is  characteristic  in  tone,  and  is  wholly  unlike  the  music,  of 
our  other  warblers,  with  the  exception  of  one  form  of  the  song 
of  the  "Black-throated  Green." 

(I)  VIRENS.  Black-throated  Green  Warbler.  "Black-throated 
Green." 

(In  New  England  a  common  summer-resident,  but  "rather 
confined  to  certain  districts.") 

(a).  About  five  inches  long.  $  ,  olive-green  above.  Wings 
and  tail  dark,  with  white-edged  feathers  ;  former  white-barred. 
Wlwle  side  of  head,  rich  yellow  (with  occasional  indistinct  mark- 
ings) .  Throat  and  breast,  black.  ?  (and  $  in  autumn)  with 
the  black  restricted  or  wanting.  Other  under  parts,  white  or 
yellowish.  Outer  tail-feathers,  largely  white. 

(b).  The  nest  is  usually  placed  in  a  pine,  in  a  horizontal 
fork  near  the  end  of  a  bough,  from  twenty  to  fifty  feet  above 
the  ground  (but  sometimes  lower).  It  is  finished  in  June, 
sometimes  in  the  first  week,  sometimes  not  until  the  last.  It  is 
composed  outwardly  of  narrow  strips  of  thin  bark,  bits  of  twigs 
from  vines,  dried  grasses,  and  such  odds  and  ends  as  the  birds 
have  found  convenient  to  employ,  and  inwardly  of  bits  of 


118  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

wool,  feathers,  and  plant-down,  but  it  is  generally  lined  with 
hairs  and  fine  shreds  of  vegetable  substance.  It  is  usually 
small,  neat,  and  very  pretty.  The  eggs  of  each  set  are  three 
or  four,  and  average  *67  X  '55  of  an  inch.  They  are  commonly 
(creamy)  white,  with  reddish  or  umber-brown,  and  purplish 
markings,  grouped  principally  about  the  crown.  These  mark- 
ings are  for  the  most  part  either  clear  and  delicate,  or  a  little 
coarse  and  rather  obscure ;  but  the  eggs  are  better  character- 
ized by  their  shape,  being  rather  broad  in  proportion  to  their 
length. 

(c).  I  owe  much  to  the  charming  little  "  Black- throated 
Greens  "  for  the  pleasure  which  they  have  many  times  afforded 
me,  but  I  know  no  means  of  requiting  them,  unless  by  writing 
their  biography  with  peculiar  care. 

They  are  summer-residents  throughout  New  England,  but 
are  particularly  common  in  certain  parts  of  Eastern  Massachu- 
setts. They  prefer  pines  to  all  other  trees,  but  in  the  regions 
of  the  Nashua  and  Connecticut  Valleys,  in  the  North,  and 
whilst  migrating,  they  are  to  be  found  in  "mixed"  woods,  in 
the  former  cases  especially  those  which  contain  other  ever- 
greens. They  reach  Boston  (which  now  comprises  tracts  of 
genuine  country)  about  the  fifth  of  May,  sometimes  earlier, 
but  rarely  much  later,  and  generally,  for  a  day  or  two  before 
the  middle  of  that  month,  are  very  abundant,  owing  to  the 
migrants  bound  for  homes  in  a  colder  climate.  After  these 
passengers  have  disappeared,  the  "Black-throated  Greens" 
here  confine  themselves  almost  exclusively  to  groves  of  pine 
or  cedar,  chiefly  those  in  high  land,  and  only  occasionally  stray 
to  orchards  or  other  places,  though  so  tame  as  sometimes  to 
visit  vines  growing  on  the  piazza,  where  I  have  known  them  to 
build  their  nests.  They  remain  here  throughout  the  summer, 
and  do  not  altogether  disappear  until  the  first  week  of  October. 
They  do  not  often  catch  insects  in  the  air,  except  in  spring, 
and  rarely  descend  to  the  ground,  except  for  the  sake  of  taking 
a  bath,  which  they  do  so  prettily  that  an  appreciative  spectator 
qannot  fail  to  enjoy  it  as  much  as  the  birds  themselves.  They 
find  their  food  principal!}7"  among  the  branches  of  the  ever- 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  119 

greens  which  they  frequent,  are  constantly  active  whilst  in 
search  of  it,  and  never  rest  in  the  manner  of  the  Pine  War- 
blers, who  are  much  lazier.  They  generally  remain  in  one 
spot  for  several  minutes,  and  then  fly  to  another  at  quite  a  dis- 
tance, seldom  staying  long  in  one  group  of  trees.  Though 
active,  they  are  not  restless,  as  many  of  their  kindred  are,  but 
rather  are  comparatively  deliberate  in  their  motions.  There  is 
to  me  a  fascination  in  watching  these  birds,  as  they  move 
among  the  tree-tops,  and  a  charm  in  listening  to  their  drowsy 
notes,  which  (without  poetical  exaggeration)  seem  to  invite 
one,  on  a  warm  day,  to  lie  down  and  slumber  on  the  pine- 
needles  that  are  strewn  over  the  ground — though  to  persons 
too  practically  minded,  the  mosquitoes  at  that  season  permit 
no  such  repose. 

(d).  The  ordinary  notes  of  the  "Black-throated  Greens" 
are  numerous,  being  a  tsip,  a  chick,  which  is  sometimes  soft 
and  sometimes  loud,  a  check,  a  chuck,  which  is  used  chiefly  as 
a  note  of  alarm,  and  a  sharp  chink,  which  is  generally  indica- 
tive of  distress.  Their  song  has  several  variations,  of  which 
the  two  most  often  heard  are  wee-see-wee-see-wee-see  (in  which 
the  middle  notes  are  the  highest)  and  wee-see-ivee-see-see  (in 
which  the  second  note  is  higher  than  the  rest,  the  second  coup- 
let uttered  in  a  lively  way,  and  the  other  notes  drawled  out  in 
a  manner  peculiar  to  this  species).  To  these  simple  chants  a 
few  terminal  notes  are  not  infrequently  added,  which  some- 
times consist  of  a  repetition,  and,  rarely,  resemble  those  of  the 
"Black-throated  Blue's"  music.  These  songs  are  very  char- 
acteristic ;  and,  if  one  has  once  heard  them,  he  cannot  often 
confound  them  with  those  of  other  birds. 

The  "Black-throated  Greens"  are,  to  me,  with  perhaps  the 
exception  of  the  Pine  Warblers,  the  most  attractive  members 
of  their  family,  on  account,  I  think,  of  their  pleasing,  familiar, 
and  oft-repeated  songs,  which  are  heard  from  the  time  of  their 
arrival  nearly  throughout  the  summer,  which  form  so  fitting  an 
accompaniment  to  the  whisperings  of  the  pines,  and  to  which 
I  am  never  weary  of  listening.  Another  reason,  however,  is 
that  they  show  a  fondness  for  the  pines  as  great  as  my  own, 


120  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME  BIRDS 

though,  no  doubt,  from  very  different  motives.  The  majesty 
of  those  trees,  their  gracefulness,  their  freshness  throughout 
the  year,  their  beauty  in  summer,  when,  after  a  hard  shower, 
the  light  of  the  setting  sun  breaks  upon  them,  their  beauty  in 
winter,  when  their  branches  are  loaded,  many  to  the  ground, 
with  snow,  or  when  they  are  covered  with  glittering  ice,  their 
whisperings  in  the  breezes  of  spring  and  summer,  their  sighing 
and  whistling  in  the  southern  gales,  and  finally  their  odor, 
combine  to  render  them  the  finest,  I  think,  of  all  our  forest 
trees. 

(J)  PINUS.  Pine  Warbler.  (Pine-tree  Warbler.)  Pine-creep- 
ing  Warbler*  ("Pine  Creeper") 

(A  common  summer- resident  in  the  pine-tracts  of  Massa- 
chusetts.) 

(a).  5^-6  inches  long.  Upper  parts,  olive.  Belly  and  two 
wing-bars,  white.  Superciliary  line,  throat,  and  breast,  bright 
yellow.  9  duller,  often  with  little  yellow  below.  In  both 
sexes  "tail-blotches  confined  to  two  outer  pairs  of  tail  feathers, 
large,  oblique" 

(b).  The  nest  is  usually  to  be  found  in  the  same  situation, 
and  is  otherwise  essentially  like  that  of  the  "Black- throated 
Green"  (I).  Though  generally  finished  in  the  last  week  of  May 
it  has  been  found  in  the  earlier  part  of  the  month.  The  eggs 
of  each  set  are  usually  four,  and  average  -67  X  '52  of  an  inch. 
They  are  white,  with  purplish  and  brown  markings,  or  fine 
markings  of  three  shades  of  brown,  sprinkled  chiefly  at  the 
"great  end." 

(c).  The  Pine  Warblers  have  a  very  extensive  breeding- 
range,  and  are  probably  to  be  found  in  summer  throughout 
New  England,  in  the  pine-wooded  districts.  They  are  the  first 
of  their  family  to  reach  the  Eastern  States  in 'spring,  and  I 
have  seen  them  near  Boston  on  the  first  of  April.  They  usu- 
ally, however,  arrive  here  in  the  first  or  second  week  of  that 
month,  and  return  to  the  South  in  the  latter  part  of  September, 
occasionally  lingering  until  the  middle  of  October.  Except 
in  the  summer-season,  they  are  often  more  or  less  gregarious, 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  121 

and  associate  with  the  "Red-polls"  (D.  pahnarum)  and  "Yel- 
low-rumps." Moreover,  in  winter,  spring,  and  fall,  they  find 
much  of  their  food  upon  the  ground,  as  do  the  other  warblers 
that  I  have  just  mentioned,  particularly  the  former.  They 
derive  their  name  of  "Pine-creepers"  from  the  fact  that  they 
occasionally  cling  to  the  trunks  of  trees,  and  that  they  can 
move  along  the  horizontal  limbs  with  ease  and  activity ;  but 
I  have  never  known  them  to  progress  in  the  manner  of  the 
creepers  or  woodpeckers. 

Their  habits  in  summer  do  not  differ  very  essentially  from 
those  of  the  "  Black -throated  Greens."  At  that  season,  and 
more  particularly  at  the  time  of  their  migrations  in  April,  they 
may  be  found  in  woods  of  various  kinds,  but  they  have  a  most 
marked  preference  for  pine-woods  and  groves,  from  which  they 
occasionally  ramble  to  near  orchards.  They  do  not  often  catch 
insects  in  the  air,  but  generally  seek  them  among  the  higher 
branches  ;  and  it  is  often  difficult  to  discover  their  whereabouts 
—  the  more  so  that  seemingly  they  are  capital  ventriloquists. 
They  have  always  seemed  to  me  quiet  and  rather  indolent,  and 
remarkably  attentive  to  their  dress.  I  have  sometimes  seen 
them  pause,  for  at  least  fifteen  minutes,  to  smooth  their  feath- 
ers or  to  rest, /every  minute  "drawling  out"  their  sweet  note 
quite  mechanically.  At  other  times  they  are  very  active,  and 
it  is  then  impossible  to  keep  sight  of  them  for  any  great  length 
of  time.  As  I  have  observed  males,  both  in  spring  and  sum- 
mer, who  apparently  had  neither  mates  nor  nests,  I  ^think  it 
quite  certain  that  there  are  bachelors  among  birds.32  The 
Pine  Warblers  are  not  only  extremely  useful  in  protecting 
our  evergreens,  but  are  also  very  charming,  partly,  no  doubt, 
because  there  is  a  spice  of  "something"  in  their  character 
which  we  cannot  altogether  sanction  from  a  moral  point  of 
view. 

(d).    Their  note  is  as  deliciously  drowsy  as  that  of  the 
"  Black-throated  Green,"  but  is  not  so  often  repeated,  though 


82  There  is  other  evidence  that  such  is  undoubtedly  the  case.    An  interesting 
article  on  the  subject  has  been  written  by  Mr.  Abbott  of  New  Jersey. 


122  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

heard  both  earlier  and  later  in  the  year.  It  is  apparently  a 
delicately  trilled  whistle,  but  really  a  series  of  fine  notes,  as  is 
proved  by  the  fact  that  the  birds  open  and  shut  their  bills, 
whilst  emitting  the  sound.  It  closely  resembles  one  of  the 
Snow-bird's  whistles,  and  also  the  trill  of  the  Swamp  Sparrow. 
The  Pine  Warblers  have  also  a  chip,  and  a  few  weak  notes, 
such  as  cliip-a-see,  and  we-cliee-we-cliee-we-cliee,  which  are  not 
very  expressive,  and  are  not  often  heard. 

(K)  PALMARUM.  "Red-poll"  Warbler.  Palm  Warbler.  "Yel- 
low Red-poll." 

(A  common  migrant  through  Massachusetts.) 

(a).  About  five  inches  long.  Dull  olive  above,  (obsoletely) 
streaked.  Crown,  reddish-crimson  (or  "chestnut").  Beneath, 
yellow,  inconspicuously  streaked  on  the  breast  with  bright 
reddish-brown.  Tail-feathers  with  a  few  white  blotches.  (De- 
tails omitted.) 

(6).  The  nest  is  said  to  be  placed  on  the  ground,  usually  in 
a  swampy  locality.  The  eggs  of  each  set  are  four  (  ?)  ;  average 
about  -70  X  "55  of  an  inch ;  and  are  (creamy)  white,  with  pur- 
plish, faint  lilac,  and  reddish-brown  markings,  chiefly  at  the 
larger  end. 

(c).  The  Yellow  "Red-polls"  pass  the  summer  in  the  North, 
almost  entirely  beyond  the  limits  of  New  England,  and  the 
winter  in  the  South,  and  consequently  appear  in  Massachusetts 
as  migrants  only.  They  are  usually  common  near  Boston 
in  the  latter  part  of  April,  and  the  first  week  of  May,  as 
well  as  in  the  latter  part  of  September,  and  sometimes  the 
earlier  part  of  October.  Their  favorite  haunts  are  swamps  and 
their  neighborhoods,  but  they  also  frequent  "scrub,"  hedge- 
rows, ploughed  lands,  gardens,  and  orchards.  They  almost 
invariably  gather  in  loose  flocks,  and  often  associate  with 
other  warblers,  and  with  various  sparrows.  They  are  much 
more  terrestrial  in  their  habits  than  any  of  their  immediate 
relations  (i.  e.,  the  Dendroecce)  and  always  are  on  or  not  very 
far  from  the  ground.  They  fly  quite  gracefully,  and  are  nimble 
when  on  the  ground  or  when  moving  from  branch  to  branch  in 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  123 

a  bush  or  tree.  Their  most  noticeable  habit,  and  the  one 
which  best  distinguishes  them  from  the  rest  of  their  family, 
is  that  of  flirting  their  tails,  almost  exactly  as  the  common 
Pewee  does.  They  do  this  particularly  when  on  their  perches, 
from  which  they  often  fly  directly  to  the  ground  to  seize  some 
small  insect  or  seed  which  they  have  spied  in  the  grass,  or 
perhaps  on  the  bare  earth,  while  perched  above. 

As  I  have  mentioned  the  food  of  this  species,  perhaps  it 
will  not  be  amiss  to  speak  of  that  of  this  large  family  in  gen- 
eral, the  warblers,  and  of  their  usefulness  to  man.  Though 
certain  kinds  often  eat  seeds  (generally  those  of  the  pine  or  of 
weeds),  and  others  partake  of  small  berries  in  spring  and  au- 
tumn, a  majority  feed  exclusively  upon  insects.  These  insects 
include  the  smaller  caterpillars,  various  small  winged  insects, 
in  one  case  particularly  those  insects  which  infest  the  bark  of 
trees,  and  which  the  nuthatches  do  so  much  to  exterminate, 
and,  more  generally,  those  which  frequent  the  foliage  and  blos- 
soms, especially  at  the  time  of  the  spring-migrations.  They 
often  include,  moreover,  spiders,  but  rarely  the  beetles  ;  in  the 
destruction  of  the  latter,  larger  birds  being  more  efficacious. 
Thus,  though  many  warblers  are  neutral  in  regard  to  the  agri- 
cultural, and  what  are  often  considered  the  most  important, 
interests  of  man,  none,  so  far  as  I  know,  do  him  any  injury, 
whereas  many  greatly  benefit  him  in  the  preservation  of  our 
orchard-trees,  our  shade-trees,  our  evergreens,  and  even  our 
shrubbery  and  garden-plants.  Though  not,  I  trust,  altogether 
useless,  the  above  remarks  seem  almost  unnecessary,  as  very 
fortunately  the  warblers  have  never,  I  believe,  been  perse- 
cuted. 

(d).  The  ordinary  notes  of  the  Yellow  "Red-polls"  are  a 
chip,  which  sometimes  is  closely  repeated  several  times,  and  a 
chuck,  which  is  less  loud  than  that  of  the  Snow-birds,  but  much 
more  mellow.  They  have  also  in  spring  a  few  expressive  twit- 
ters, a  few  rather  weak  musical  notes,  and  their  true  song-note, 
which  is  a  whistled  trill,  less  sweet  and  smooth  than  that  of 
the  Fine  Warbler.  It  is  possible  that  in  their  summer-homes 
these  birds  produce  a  fuller  song,  but  I  have  no  evidence  of 


124  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

such  being  the  case.     I  am,  moreover,  inclined  to  think  that 
they  never  sing  very  agreeably. 

(L)  CORONATA.  Yelloiv-rumped  .Warbler.  "  Yellow-rump" 
"  Myrtle  Bird."  "  Willow  Warbler." 

(A  very  common  migrant  through  Massachusetts.) 

(a).  About  5^  inches  long.  $ ,  in  spring  and  summer, 
slaty ;  black-streaked.  Wings  browner,  and  concealing  the 
rump,  when  closed.  Throat  and  belly,  white.  Crown,  rump, 
and  a  patch  on  the  side  of  the  breast,  bright  yellow.  Wing-bars, 
etc.,  white.  $  ,  in  fall  and  winter,  and  9  generally  browner, 
with  less  pure  colors.  Young,  brown  above,  and  white  below, 
with  a  few  slender  side-streaks  sometimes  extending  across  the 
breast;  rump  yellow.  Various  intermediate  stages  of  color- 
ation also  exist. 

(&).  "The  nest  is  usually  placed  in  a  bush,  is  constructed 
of  various  soft  materials,  and  is  lined  with  horse-hairs,  down, 
or  some  other  suitable  material."  Mr.  Maynard  speaks  of 
nests  found  in  Northern  Maine  in  early  June,  all  of  which 
*'  contained  four  fresh  eggs,"  as  being  built  in  low  spruces 
about  four  feet  from  the  ground,  and  constructed  of  hemlock 
twigs,  lined  with  feathers.  A  nest  which  I  found  in  Northern 
New  Hampshire  was  somewhat  different,  but  contained  three 
eggs,  which  were  white,  marked  with  purplish  and  brown,  and 
averaged  '68  X  *50  of  an  inch.  Dr.  Brewer  describes  others 
as  measuring  about  -75  X  '55  of  an  inch,  and  being  white,  or 
often  bluish,  "  blotched  and  spotted  with  reddish-brown,  purple, 
and  darker  shades  of  brown." 

(c).  The  "  Yellow-rumps"  are  among  the  most  abundant  of 
all  the  migrants  who  travel  through  Massachusetts,  being 
always  very  common  here  at  times  between  the  twentieth  of 
April  and  the  last  of  May,  and  again  in  the  latter  part  of  Sep- 
tember and  in  October.  They  pass  the  summer  principally  in 
Labrador  and  Canada,  and  also  to  a  certain  extent  in  the 
White  Mountain  Region,  and  Northern  Maine  ;  but  I  know  no 
well  authenticated  instance  of  their  so  doing  in  this  State.  I 
have,  however,  known  them  to  pass  the  winter  here,  though 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  125 

usually  at  that  season  they  inhabit  the  most  southern  United 
States  and  even  warmer  climates.  I  have  several  times,  in 
December  and  January,  found  them  near  Boston,  in  swamps, 
where  they  were  feeding  upon  the  berries,  and  also  among 
cedars.33 

Whilst  here  in  spring,  they  are  to  be  found  on  the  road-  , 
sides,  in  swamps,  in  pastures,  in  "scrub-land,"  and  amongst  the 
trees  and  shrubbery  of  cultivated  estates,  but  rarely  in  woods, 
though  in  northern  New  England  such  are  their  summer-haunts. 
They  generally  move  about  in  flocks,  often  very  loose  ones, 
inclusive  of  immature  specimens  in  various  stages  of  colora- 
tion. They  prefer  the  orchard  and  hard- wood  trees  to  the 
pines,  and  usually  take  their  perch  among  the  latter  to  look 
out  for  passing  insects.  They  more  generally  frequent  the 
higher  than  the  lower  branches,  and  from  these  fly  to  snap  up 
insects  in  the  air,  usually  at  some  distance,  afterwards  often 
alighting  in  another  tree.  At  other  times,  unlike  the  flycatch- 
ers, they  glean  among  the  branches  and  look  for  insects  among 
the  foliage  and  blossoms.  In  autumn  their  habits  are  essen- 
tially the  same,  except  that  they  are  more  upon  the  ground, 
feed  more  upon  berries,  sometimes  those  of  house-vines,  and 
show  a  greater  liking  for  hedge-rows  and  like  places,  where 
they  often  associate  with  the  "  Yellow  Red-polls  "  or  with  the 
sparrows.  They  may  generally  be  distinguished  at  a  distance 
by  their  habit  of  being  much  in  the  air,  and  of  taking  long 
flights  (as  compared  with  those  of  other  warblers)  at  quite  a 
height  above  the  ground. 

(d).  The  "  Yellow-rumps  "  have  a  soft  chip,  and  a  loud  check 
or  chuck  (which  sometimes  is  softened  to  clmp).  I  have  often 
heard  them  sing  in  May,  throughout  the  day,  much  like  the 
Purple  Finch,  but  without  the  richness,  fulness,  continuity,  or 
melodiousness  of  that  bird's  music,  especially  if  heard  from  a 
near  standpoint.  This  song  is  often  varied,  and  sometimes 
has  reminded  me  of  certain  of  the  "  Maryland  Yellow-throats' " 


M  Mr.  Charles  C.  Abbott  states  that  they  pass  the  winter  in  New  Jersey. 


126  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

notes.     In  October  I  have  once  or  twice  heard  the  "  Yellow- 
rumps  "  utter  a  warble,  which  was  soft,  sweet,  and  very  rich. 

(M)  MACULOSA.  Black  and  Yellow  Warbler.  "  Magnolia 
Warbler." 

(A  rather  rare  migrant  through  Massachusetts.) 

(a).  About  five  inches  long.  Dark  above.  Rump,  yellow. 
Crown  ashy  (-blue  ?) .  Forehead  and  a  broad  bar  through  the 
eye,  black.  Under  parts  yellow  ;  breast  black-streaked.  Wing- 
patch,  etc.,  white.  9  ,  with  head-markings  and  streaks  less 
distinct. 

(b).  The  nest  is  usually  built  in  a  low  spruce,  often  near  a 
path  through  the  woods,  three  or  four  feet  from  the  ground, 
and  is  finished  in  the  first  week  of  June.  (A  second  is  .some- 
times built  about  the  first  of  July.)  It  is  composed  outwardly 
of  pine-needles,  hemlock-twigs,  or  the  like,  and  is  lined  with 
horse-hairs  or  the  black  fibres  of  a  certain  moss.  The  eggs 
average  -63  X  "50  of  an  inch,  and  are  white  with  lilac  and 
brown,  or  umber-brown,  markings,  often  forming  a  ring  about 
the  crown.  Some  eggs  of  this  species  which  I  found  in  North- 
ern New  Hampshire  are  clouded  at  the  larger  end  with  obscure 
lilac  and  three  shades  of  a  beautiful,  bright,  but  peculiar 
brown. 

(c).  The  Black  and  Yellow  Warblers  are  perhaps,  with  the 
exception  of  the  Blackburnian  Warblers,  the  handsomest  of 
their  family,  and  therefore  it  is  to  be  regretted  that  they  are  in 
Massachusetts  only  for  a  short  time  in  the  latter  part  of  May, 
being  even  then  not  common.  They  arrive  here  about  the 
middle  or  twentieth  of  that  month,  and  linger  for  a  few  days, 
but,  after  having  passed  the  summer  in  the  woods  of  Canadaj 
Northern  New  Hampshire,  and  Maine,  return  to  the  South  by 
an  inland  route,  avoiding  this  State,  or  at  least  the  eastern 
part  of  it.  Whilst  here,  they  frequent  woods,  trees,  and 
shrubbery  of  various  kinds,  particularly  spruces,  generally  in 
pairs  or  singly.  They  do  not  exhibit  so  many  traits  of  the 
flycatchers  as  several  other  warblers  do,  but  usually  catch  in- 
sects in  the  air,  only  as  they  move  from  one  tree  to  another. 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  127 

They  generally  alight  among  the  lower  branches,  to  which 
chiefly  they  confine  themselves,  and  among  which,  as  well  as 
about  the  blossoms,  they  industriously  search  for  insects  and 
their  eggs. 

(d).  The  song  of  the  Black  and  Yellow  Warblers  is  sweet 
and  musical.  It  is  sometimes  rather  soft,  vividly  recalling  the 
song  of  the  Yellow  Bird  (and  allied  songs),  and  less  so  that 
of  the  "  Yellow-rump,"  being  to  a  certain  extent  like  both. 
At  other  times,  it  is  louder,  and  again  like  that  of  the  Yel- 
low Bird  (D.  cestiva),  with  additional  musical  notes.  The  or- 
dinary notes  of  these  birds  are  a  tsip,  a  cry  of  Isip-tsip-tsip,  a 
soft  and  loud  chip,  a  cluck  or  chink  like  that  of  the  Hose- 
breasted  Grosbeak,  and  an  ank,  whiclrrecalls  the  similar  note 
of  the  "Golden  Robin."  Unfortunately  of  all  these  numerous 
sounds  not  one  is  distinctively  characteristic  of  these  warblers, 
who  are  somewhat  shy  ;  but  fortunately,  on  the  other  hand, 
bright  colors  cannot  always  be  concealed. 

This  species  is  the  last  of  the  twelve  Dendroecce,  who  inva- 
riably visit  Massachusetts  every  year,  and  five  of  whom  com- 
monly breed  here.  The  birds  of  this  genus  (Dendro&ca)  are  in 
many  ways  the  most  charming  members  of  the  feathered  crea- 
tion, being  prettily  and  brightly  colored,  and  extremely  grace- 
ful and  dexterous  in  their  motions.  Their  songs,  though  never 
very  striking  or  brilliant,  are  simple,  pleasing,  and  musical, 
and  their  nests  and  eggs  are  models  of  beauty.  In  addition  to 
these  charms,  these  birds  are  extremely  useful,  and  do  much 
to  protect  our  trees  and  shrubs  from  the  injuries  of  caterpillars 
and  the  numerous  winged  insects  that  infest  them. 

XI.     MY1ODIOCTES 

(A)  CANADENSIS.  Canada  "Flycatcher"  Canada  Flycatch- 
incj  Warbler. 

(A  summer-resident  in  northern  New  England,  but  rare  in 
Massachusetts,  except  as  a  migrant.) 

(a).  5-5£  inches  long.  In  general  appearance  like  the  Black 
and  Yellow  Warbler  (X,  M),  but  with  no  white  on  the  wings 
and  tail.  $ ,  ashy-blue  above  of  a  curious  tint,  and  bright 


128  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

yellow  beneath.  Crown  almost  streaked  with  black.  Super- 
ciliary line,  yellow.  Throat  bordered  by  a  black  line,  from  the 
bottom  of  which  black  streaks  (often  wholly  inconspicuous) 
run  down  the  breast.  $  ,  with  the  blue  impure  and  black 
restricted. 

(b).  The  nest  is  usually  placed  on  the  ground,  in  swampy 
woodland.  In  Eastern  Massachusetts  four  or  five  eggs  are 
laid  about  the  first  of  June.  These  eggs  average  '68  X  '50  of 
an  inch,  and  are  white,  generally  clouded  delicately  at  the 
larger  end  with  brown  and  lilac. 

(c).  The  Canada  "  Flycatchers "  are  common  summer-resi- 
dents in  the  woods  of  northern  New  England,  but  in  Mas- 
sachusetts, though  their  nests  have  been  found,  for  instance,  at 
Lynn,  they  are  rare  except  as  migrants.  They  arrive  at  Boston 
on  the  twentieth  of  May,  or  even  later,  and  I  have  observed 
them  here  traveling  as  late  as  the  fifth  of  June.  During  their 
visits,  which  are  individually  brief,  they  frequent  woodland, 
often  that  which  is  swampy,  though  also  dry  pines,  and  the 
shrubbery  in  or  near  it.  Occasionally  they  venture  to  gardens 
and  shrubbery  near  houses,  but  they  are  naturally  fond  of  re- 
tired or  even  secluded  spots.  They  journey  singly  or  in  pairs, 
and  are  never  gregarious,  nor  often  very  numerous  in  any  one 
place.  Among  the  White  Mountains  they  frequent  those  for- 
ests where  the  undergrowth  of  ferns  and  living  plants,  and  the 
entanglement  of  moss-covered  logs  and  stumps,  are  both  so 
rich. 

The  Canada  Warblers  are  very  active,  occasionally  alighting 
on  the  ground,  and  almost  invariably  keeping  near  it,  and 
move  among  the  shrubbery  from  one  low  branch  to  another, 
continually  catching  insects  in  the  air.  They  occasionally  run 
over  fences  or  walls  with  great  ease,  and,  in  fact,  in  all  their 
motions  exhibit  grace  and  agility.  They  are  not  very  shy,  and 
suffer  a  near  approach  to  inquisitive  persons.  When,  however, 
their  nest  is  approached,  they  become  vigilant  and  anxious, 
particularly  the  males,  who  plainly  show  their  distress.  These 
latter,  in  such  cases,  often  fly  about  among  the  branches  above 
one's  head  at  quite  a  distance  from  the  ground,  emitting  their 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  129 

notes  of  complaint,  but  at  other  times,  mindful  of  household 
cares,  continue  to  collect  insects  among  the  bushes  and  lower 
limbs  of  the  surrounding  trees.  I  remember  watching  one, 
who  in  fifteen  minutes,  during  my  presence,  collected  as  many 
moths  and  caterpillars,  continually  uttering  his  loud  chuck, 
and  yet  I  could  not  find  his  nest,  so  well  did  he  avoid  indicat- 
ing its  immediate  whereabouts.  I  have  known  Cat-birds,  in 
a  like  way,  to  sing  even  whilst  holding  in  their  bills  a  worm, 
or  perhaps  material  for  their  nests,  though  it  certainly  seems 
a  difficult  performance. 

(d).  The  Canada  "  Flycatchers"  have  a  very  sweet  and 
agreeable  song,  which  unfortunately  is  not  often  to  be  heard 
here.  It  is  simple,  like  those  of  the  other  warblers,  but  is 
rather  more  pleasing  than  those  of  the  Yellow  Bird  or  Red- 
start, which  it  usually  resembles.  Their  ordinary  notes  are  a 
soft  and  loud  c/i(p,  and  a  chuck,  which  is  almost  exactly  like 
that  of  the  Maryland  "Yellow-throat." 

(B)  pusiLLUS.34  Green  Black-capped  (Flycatching  Warbler 
or)  "Flycatcher"  (Wilson's)  "Black-cap." 

(A  migrant  through  Eastern  Massachusetts  in  spring.) 

(a).  Five  inches  long,  or  less.  Olive  above.  Bright  yellow 
beneath.  Crown,  black ;  but  in  9  obscure,  or  simply  olive. 
Forehead,  yellow. 

(b).  The  nest  is  built  in  a  bush  or  shrub,  and  near  the 
ground.  The  eggs  average  -63X'48  of  an  inch,  and  are  white, 
marked  with  reddish-brown  at  the  larger  end. 

(c).  Dr.  Brewer  says  that  the  "Wilson's  Black-cap  is  found 
throughout  the  United  States  from  ocean  to  ocean,  and  as  far 
north  as  Alaska  and  the  Arctic  shores,  where,  however,  it  is 
lot  common."  I  know  no  instance  of  these  birds  passing  the 


34  The  Hooded  Warbler  (AT.  mitratus)  never,  so  far  as  I  know,  strays  to  Mas-  JL 
sachu-setts  or  any  part  of  New  England,  though  vaguely  reported  to  do  so.  I  have, 
therefore,  omitted  it.  Description :— 5  or  more  inches  long.  Olive  above,  and 
bright  yellow  beneath.  Tail-feathers  with  a  few  white  blotches.  Male  with  head 
blai-k,  except  on  the  sides  and  forehead,  which  are  golden-yellow.  The  Small- 
.  Flycatcher  (Musdcapa  minuta)  is  an  entirely  apocryphal  species. 

10 


130  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

summer  so  far  to  the  southward  as  New  England,  though  they 
may  occasionally  do  so.  They  are  quite  common  in  Eastern 
Massachusetts  between  the  tenth  and  the  last  of  May,  but  I 
have  never  seen  them  at  other  times  of  the  year.  They  fre- 
quent singly,  or  in  pairs,  woods,  thickets,  and  the  neighbor- 
hood of  streams  and  water.  They  usually,  but  not  always, 
remain  near  the  ground  among  the  bushes  and  shrubbery,  often 
snapping  up  insects  in  the  air,  and  even  seeming  to  turn  sum- 
mersaults. They  are  constantly  active,  and  are  among  the 
busiest  of  our  transient  visitors. 

(d).  Their  song  is  much  like  an  extension  of  the  Redstart's 
notes,  and  not  unlike  the  song  of  the  common  Yellow  Bird  (D. 
cestiva),  though  rather  less  pretty.  They  have  also  a  chip  (a 
chuck?)  and  some  harsh  notes,  resembling  the  syllables  zee-zee- 
zee-zee,  of  which  the  latter  are  the  lower  in  tone. 

XII.    SETOPHAGA 

(A)   RUTICILLA.     Redstart. 

(In  a  greater  part  of  New  England  a  common  summer-resi- 
dent.) 

(a).  About  5 1  inches  long.  £ ,  lustrous  black.  Sides  of 
the  breast,  patches  on  the  wing,  and  basal  half  of  the  tail- 
feathers,  except  the  middle  pair,  flame-color,  or  in  some  places 
nearly  vermilion.  Belly,  white.  <j> ,  greenish  above,  and  white 
beneath.  Vermilion  of  the  male  simply  yellowish.  Wings 
and  tail  elsewhere  dark  (the  latter  from  below  seeming  almost 
black-tipped,  but  otherwise  yellowish).  The  female  is  rather 
a  nondescript  in  appearance. 

(b).  The  nest  is  placed  in  a  fork,  sometimes  next  to  the 
trunk,  in  a  low  tree  or  shrub,  from  five  to  twenty  feet  above 
the  ground.  It  is  composed  of  thin  strips  of  bark,  dried 
grasses,  caterpillar's  silk  and  other  soft  materials,  and  is  some- 
times lined  with  horse-hairs.  The  four  or  five  eggs  of  each 
set  usually  average  *65  X  '50  of  an  inch,  and  are  white,  with 
purple  or  lilac,  and  brown  (not  very  dark),  scattered  quite 
thickly  at  the  larger  end  and  thinly  at  the  other.  They  can 
generally  be  easily  distinguished. 


OP   NEW  ENGLAND.  131 

(c).  The  Redstarts  are  familiar  to  all  the  ornithologists  of 
New  England,  though  much  less  common  in  many  northern  and 
western  localities  than  in  other  parts,  where  they  are  the  most 
common  of  the  woodland- warblers.  They  are  summer-residents 
throughout  the  north-eastern  United  States,  but  they  pass  the 
winter  in  a  warmer  climate.  They  reach  Massachusetts  be- 
tween the  fifth  and  tenth  of  May,  and  leave  it  in  the  early  part 
of  September,  but,  except  in  spring,  when  I  have  seen  three  or 
four  together  on  their  arrival,  I  have  never  observed  them  to 
be  at  all  gregarious.  They  frequent  woods  and  groves  of  vari- 
ous sorts,  but  generally  avoid  isolated  trees  and  shrubbery. 
Occasionally,  however,  they  approach  the  ground,35  though 
they  usually  remain  at  some  distance  from  it,  often  at  a  great 
height.  During  their  residence  here,  they  never  wander  far, 
and  never  take  other  than  very  short  flights.  They  are,  how- 
ever, continually  catching  small  flies,  gnats,  and  mosquitoes  in 
the  air.  They  also  search  for  them  among  the  branches,  in  the 
manner  of  the  vireos,  and  their  handsome  tail,  outspread,  then 
shows  to  great  advantage.  They  are  more  wonderfully  active 
and  dexterous  than  most  other  warblers,  renowned  as  they  all 
are  for  their  industry  and  skill. 

The  male  Redstarts,  inclusive  of  the  young  in  various  stages, 
who,  for  a  long  time,  much  resemble  the  females,  are  more 
abundant  than  those  of  the  opposite  sex,  and  consequently 
they  often  have  occasion  in  May  to  quarrel  for  the  possession 
of  the  females,  though  otherwise  peaceful.  Though  easily 
caused  to  desert  their  nests,  they  possess  great  conjugal  and 
parental  affection,  as  do  nearly  all  the  more  highly  organized 
birds.  Inclination  to  desertion  varies  with  individuals  more 
than  with  species,  but  is  widely  different  among  the  several 
families  and  orders. 

(d).  The  song  of  the  Redstarts  is  simple  and  pleasing,  but 
constantly  varied.  Sometimes  it  is  merely  a  rather  shrill  die- 
icee-o  or  che-wee-o-wee-o,  at  other  times  it  is  che-wee-see-wee-see- 


85 1  have  since  observed  that  the  female  obtains  much  of  the  food  for  her  young 
from  the  ground. 


132  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

wee,  or  a  soft  wee-see-wee-see-wee,  much  like  the  song  of  the 
Yellow  Bird  (D.  cestivd),  and  again  a  series  or  repetition  of  a 
few  gentle  notes,  which  form  an  indefinite  song. 

The  Redstarts  have  also  a  soft  chip,  which  is  often  repeated 
in  the  manner  of  the  Snow-bird,  a  loud  chip,  a  chick,  and  a  few 
minor  notes  of  no  importance. 

This  species  is  the  last  of  our  numerous  warblers  (unless  the 
chats),  and  I  regret  having  already  finished  the  biographies  of 
these  useful  and  charming  birds. 

XIII.   ICTERIA 

(A)    VIRENS.    Yellow-breasted  Chat.     Chat. 

(In  New  England  of  rare  occurrence,  and  in  the  three  south- 
ern States  only.) 

(a).  Seven  inches  long.  Above,  bright  olive-green.  Throat 
and  breast,  rich  yellow.  Belly,  and  superciliary  line,  white. 
Lore,  black. 

(6).  The  nest  is  composed  of  leaves,  grasses,  strips  of  bark, 
etc.,  and  is  placed  in  a  thicket,  bush,  or  briar.  The  eggs  aver- 
age about  1*  X  *80  of  an  inch,  and  are  white,  sometimes  with 
reddish-brown  and  obscure  lilac  spots  sprinkled  over  the  sur- 
face (often  more  thickly  about  the  crown),  and  sometimes  with 
rather  faint  lilac  blotches  only  (which  are  occasionally  confined 
almost  entirely  to  the  smaller  end) ,  these  being  the  two  ex- 
tremes of  coloration. 

(c).  Of  the  remarkable  Yellow-breasted  Chats  I  shall  here 
make  but  brief  mention,  since  they  have  never  fallen  under  my 
personal  observation,  and  because  of  their  very  rare  occur- 
rence in  New  England.  I  have  never  seen  them  near  Boston, 
and  I  know  but  two  instances  of  their  capture  here.  They 
reach  Pennsylvania  "  about  the  first  week  in  May,"  and  inhabit 
"  close  thickets  of  hazel,  brambles,  vines  and  thick  under- 
wood." During  the  mating-season  they  perform  the  most  ex- 
traordinary antics  in  the  air,  and  often  at  night. 

(d).  While  so  doing,  and  at  other  times,  they  utter  a  great 
variety  of  extraordinary  sounds,  some  of  which  are  musical 
whistles,  and  others  "  like  the  barking  of  young  puppies,"  "  the 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  133 

mewing  of  a  cat,"  or  equally  peculiar  noises.  Wilson,  from 
whom  I  have  already  quoted,  says  that  "all  these  are  uttered 
with  great  vehemence,  in  such  different  keys,  and  with  such 
peculiar  modulations  of  voice,  as  sometimes  to  seem  at  a  con- 
siderable distance  and  instantly  as  if  just  beside  you  ;  now  on 
this  hand,  now  on  that."  Wilson's  biography  of  this  bird  is 
extremely  interesting,  but  unfortunately  too  long  for  transcrip- 
tion. 

§  10.  The  Tanagridae,  or  tanagers,  form  a  brilliant  group, 
intermediate  between  the  finches  and  warblers  (see  fig.  5). 
They  have  nine  primaries,  and  scutellate  tarsi.  All  the  North 
American  species  are  characterized  more  or  less  plainly  by  a 
tooth  in  the  middle  of  the  commissure.  The  Scarlet  Tanager 
may  be  considered  a  type.  They  have  been  called  "dentiros- 
tral  finches,"  but,  on  the  other  hand,  are  closely  allied  to  the 
warblers  through  the  chats. 

The  Icteriince,  however,  are  distinguished  by  the  following 
features  from  the  tanagers  and  all  other  warblers,  except 
Geothlypes.  Wings  about  equal  in  length  to  the  tail.  They 
differ  from  Geothlypes  in  having  an  unnotched,  unbristled  bill, 
which  is  not  more  than  twice  as  long  as  high,  if  as  much  ;  also 
in  size,  being  larger  than  any  of  the  true  warblers.  "They 
are  represented  in  the  United  States,  virtually  by  one  species 
only." 

The  Ampelidce  (§  11)  are  in  New  England  represented  only 
by  the  Ampelince,  or  waxwings.  This  subfamily  should,  per- 
haps, stand  near  the  Clamatores  (to  whom  the  Corvidce  bear 
no  direct  affinity),  but  their  true  position  has  not  yet  been  de- 
termined. They  are  usually  placed  next  to  the  swallows,  whom 
they  resemble  in  the  scutellate  tarsi,  and  in  the  bill,  which  is 
broad,  and  only  about  half  as  long  as  the  commissure.  (See 
§  §  T,  U,  of  the  Introduction.)  They  have,  however,  ten  prima- 
ries, of  which  the  first  is  spurious,  and  a  notch  in  the  bill. 
They  are  also  crested,  and  in  full  plumage  have  curious  wax- 
like  appendages  to  certain  quills,  "and  sometimes  the  tail- 
feathers"  (pi.  1,  figs.  10  and  11).  They  show  an  affinity  to 


134  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

the  flycatchers,  in  their  eminent  skill  in  fly-catching,36  as  oc- 
casionally displayed,  and  in  their  want  of  musical  powers,  for, 
though  absurdly  called  "chatterers,"  they  are  notably  silent 
birds.  Moreover,  "their  tarsus  is  not  strictly  oscine."  They 
are,  however,  gregarious.  The  common  Cedar-bird  may  be 
taken  as  a  type. 

I.  PYRANGA 

(A)   RUBRA.     Scarlet  Tanager. 

(Though  locally  distributed,  a  generally  common  summer- 
resident  in  southern  New  England.) 


Fig.  5.    Scarlet  Tanager  (|). 

(a).  About  7^  inches  long.  ^,  scarlet;  wings  and  tail 
black.  9  ,  oliv.e-green  above.  Below,  (greenish)  yellow. 

(&).  The  nest  is  loosely  constructed  of  straws,  twigs,  etc., 
and  is  usually  placed  from  ten  to  thirty  feet  above  the  ground, 
generally  in  an  oak-wood,  but  sometimes  in  an  orchard  or 
other  place  and  in  evergreens.  Three  or  four  eggs  are  here 
laid  about  the  first  of  June,  averaging  '90X'65  of  an  inch 


36  It  is  to  be  remembered,  however,  that  the  birds  of  many  families  are  very 
skilful  in  preying  upon  insects  in  the  air,  scarcely  less  so  than  the  true  flycatch- 
ers. 


OF   NEW  ENGLAND.  135 

(though  I  have  a  specimen  measuring  1*10X*70  of  an  inch). 
They  are  strongly  like  the  eggs  of  the  Swainson's  Thrush  (  §1, 
I,  D),  being  light  greenish-blue,  with  usually  rather  faint  (but 
sometimes  thick  and  strong)  markings  of  umber-brown,  which 
is  sometimes  replaced  by  purplish. 

(c).  The  gaudy  Scarlet  Tanagers  are  summer-residents 
throughout  the  eastern  United  States,  but  are  rare  in  northern 
New  England  and  Canada,  beyond  which  they  never  (?)  go. 
They  reach  Eastern  Massachusetts  in  the  second  or  third  week 
of  May,  and  leave  it  in  September,  but  during  their  stay  here 
are  rather  confined  to  localities.  They  frequent  orchards,  and 
groves  of  chestnuts,  oaks,  and  nut-trees,  often  showing  a  pref- 
erence for  swampy  woods  if  not  too  thick.  They  feed  upon 
the  larger  winged  insects,  upon  caterpillars,  upon  seeds  and 
berries,  and  so  never  have  occasion  to  be  much  on  the  ground. 
They  often  arrive  in  pairs,  but  at  other  times  they  appear  in 
small  parties  of  three  or  four,  mating  subsequently,  after  the 
males  have  fought  the  quarrels  incident  to  the  period  of  court- 
ship. In  the  latter  part  of  May  they  build  their  loosely  con- 
structed nests,  and  the  females  lay  their  eggs,  the  incubation 
of  which  occupies  them  about  thirteen  days,  the  usual  period 
of  incubation  among  a  majority  of  the  Insessorian  birds.  In 
this  stage  of  their  household  duties,  the  wonderful  wisdom 
everywhere  displayed  in  nature  is  peculiarly  noticeable.  The 
brilliantly  colored  males  carefully  avoid  the  nest,  and  approach 
it,  when  necessary,  with  caution  and  stealth,  fearful  of  be- 
traying its  presence ;  whereas  the  females,  with  their  plain 
coloration  assimilated  to  the  surrounding  foliage,  sit  upon  it 
with  safety,  and  care  for  their  young.  If,  however,  the  nest  is 
actually  invaded  or  hostilely  approached,  the  males  show 
themselves,  with  their  plumage  in  bold  and  rich  contrast  to 
the  green  leaves ;  and  I  have  known  them  to  carry  off  the  eggs, 
how,  I  cannot  positively  say.  I  have  known  several  instances 
of  birds  removing  even  their  young,  though  in  many  cases  it 
seemed  almost  impossible  for  them  to  do  so.  In  the  case  of 
the  Scarlet  Tanagers,  to  which  I  have  just  referred,  one  could 
plainly  see  their  eggs  from  the  ground  through  the  bottom  of 


136  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

the  nest,  which  was  frailly  composed  of  straw.  During  my 
ascent  of  the  tree,  without  disturbing  the  branch  in  which  the 
nest  was  placed,  I  observed  the  parents  several  times  returning 
to  the  tree,  and,  upon  my  arrival  at  a  point,  from  which  I  could 
look  into  the  nest,  I  found  it  empty.  A  careful  search  dis- 
closed no  pieces  of  broken  shell  or  traces  of  the  yolk  on  the 
lower  branches,  or  on  the  ground,  directly  below.  The  eggs 
were  undoubtedly  conveyed  to  a  place  of  safety,  but  whether 
ever  returned  or  successfully  hatched,  I  do  not  know. 

(d).  The  Scarlet  Tanagers  have  an  agreeable  song  or 
whistle,  which  reminds  one  of  the  Robin's  music,  or  the  finer 
and  delicious  music  of  the  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak,  but  it  dif- 
fers from  both  in  having  a  certain  harshness.  Their  ordinary 
note  is  a  pensively  uttered  chip-churr,  which  is  often  introduced 
so  as  to  interrupt  their  warble.  Such  other  notes  as  they  may 
have,  I  do  not  now  recall. 

(B)   ^ESTIVA.   Summer  Red  Bird. 

(Of  very  rare  occurrence  in  Massachusetts,  being  for  the 
most  part  an  inhabitant  of  the  Southern  States.) 

(a).  7fj— 8  inches  long.  $ ,  vermilion.  $,  like  <?  rubra 
(A) ,  but  duller,  and  with  brownish  rather  than  greenish  shades 
(Coues). 

(&).  "The  nest  is  usually  built  on  one  of  the  lower  limbs  of 
a  post-oak,  or  in  a  pine  sapling,  at  a  height  of  from  six  to 
twenty  feet  above  the  ground."37  The  eggs  average  about  -90 
X  '65  of  an  inch,  and  are  of  "a  bright  light  shade  of  emerald- 
green,  spotted,  marbled,  dotted  and  blotched  with  various 
shades  of  lilac,  brownish-purple,  and  dark  brown."  (Dr. 
Brewer.) 

(c) .  The  Summer  Red  Birds  have  been  taken  in  Massachu- 
setts but  a  very  few  times,  though  they  have  wandered  so  far 
to  the  North  as  Nova  Scotia.  Wilson  describes  their  habits 
as  follows,  and  says  of  this  species  that  "its  manners  *  *  * 
partake  very  much  of  those  of  the  Flycatcher ;  for  I  have  fre- 

87  This  statement  is  made  on  the  authority  of  the  late  Dr.  Gerhardt. 


OF   NEW  ENGLAND.  137 

quently  observed  both  male  and  female,  a  little  before  sunset, 
in  parts  of  the  forest  clear  of  underwood,  darting  after  winged 
insects,  and  continuing  thus  engaged  till  it  was  almost  dusk." 
"  The  food  of  these  birds  consists  of  various  kinds  of  bugs, 
and  large  black  beetles.  In  several  instances  I  have  found  the 
stomach  entirely  filled  with  the  broken  remains  of  humble 
bees.  During  the  season  of  whortle-berries  they  seem  to  sub- 
sist almost  entirely  on  these  berries ;  but  in  the  early  part  of 
the  season  on  insects  of  the  above  description." 

(d).  "The  note  of  the  male  is  a  strong  and  sonorous  whis- 
tle, resembling  a  loose  trill  or  shake  on  the  notes  of  a  fife, 
frequently  repeated  ;  that  of  the  female  is  rather  a  kind  of 
chattering,  approaching  nearly  to  the  rapid  pronunciation  of 
cliicky-tucky-tuck,  clilcky-tucky-tuck,  when  she  sees  any  person 
approaching  the  neighbourhood  of  her  nest.  She  is,  however, 
rarely  seen,  and  usually  mute,  and  scarcely  to  be  distinguished 
from  the  color  of  the  foliage  at  a  distance." 

Having  never  seen  the  Red  Birds  alive,  I  have  no  further 
remarks  to  make  upon  their  habits. 

§11.   AmpelidaD.     Waxwings.     (See§10.)38 
I.   AMPELIS 

(A)  CEDRORUM.  Cedar-bird.  Cherry-bird.  (Carolina)  Wax- 
icing.  u  Canada  Robin." 

(A  common  resident  in  New  England,  but  nomadic  and 
irregular  in  appearance.) 

(a).  6-7  inches  long.  Of  a  peculiar  warm  brown  (or 
creamy  chocolate?).  Chin,  black.  Forehead,  and  a  broad 
stripe  through  the  eye,  continuously  the  same.  Belly,  yellow 
(or  yellowish).  Under  tail-coverts,  and  some  fine  markings  on 
the  head,  white  (or  whitish).  Tail,  yellow-tipped.  Strange 
appendages,  resembling  bits  of  red  sealing-wax,  are  found, 
often  upon  the  wings,  and  sometimes  upon  the  tail,  of  full- 
plumaged  specimens. 


38  This  family  should  more  properly  stand  between  the  vireos  and  swallows  as 
§12. 


138  LAND-BIRDS    AND   GAME-BIRDS 

(6).  The  nest  is  rather  bulky,  and  is  composed  of  fine 
grasses,  weeds,  roots,  fibres,  leaves,  strips  of  bark,  etc.,  being 
sometimes  lined  with  finer  grasses  or  hairs.  It  is  usually  placed 
in  an  orchard-tree  or  in  a  cedar,  but  sometimes  in  other  situa- 
tions—  such  as  the  tops  of  birches  or  pasture-trees,  commonly 
from  eight  to  twenty  feet  above  the  ground.  Four  or  five  eggs 
are  laid  in  the  latter  part  of  June  or  in  July.  They  average 
about  -80  X  '60  of  an  inch ;  and  are  of  a  dirty  bluish-white, 
with  black  and  a  few  dark  purplish  spots. 

(c).  The  Cedar-birds,  to  a  certain  extent,  spend  the  winters 
in  Eastern  Massachusetts,  but  otherwise  arrive  from  the  South 
in  the  first  or  second  week  of  March.  They  are  found,  in 
summer,  throughout  New  England,  and  are  in  most  places 
common  during  that  season.  Through  winter  they  remain  in 
flocks  —  usually  in  retired  parts  of  the  country  —  and  feed  upon 
berries  until  spring,  when  they  venture  into  more  open  districts. 
At  this  time  their  demeanor  is  not  such  as  to  inspire  cheerful- 
ness to  the  person  observing  them,  for  they  usually  sit  motion- 
less upon  the  tops  of  bare  trees,  and  there  occasionally  give 
utterance  to  their  dreary  whispers,  until  they  fly  away.  They 
move  through  the  air  rapidly,  steadily,  and  as  if  under  military 
discipline,  so  unbroken  are  their  ranks.  They  commonly  dis- 
appear, like  several  other  birds,  at  uncertain  times  of  the  year, 
and  undoubtedly  go  to  some  place  where  their  favorite  food  is 
abundant  during  the  time  that  they  are  absent  from  one's  own 
neighborhood.  In  May  they  usually  become  common,  and  ap- 
pear in  smaller  companies  in  almost  all  parts  of  the  open 
country.  These  flocks  finally  become  divided  into  pairs,  who 
build  their  nests  when  nearly  all  our  other  birds  have  hatched 
the  eggs  of  their  first  or  even  second  broods.  The  Cherry- 
birds,  in  summer,  sometimes  imitate  the  habits  of  the  fly- 
catchers (to  whom  they  are,  perhaps,  more  closely  allied  than 
is  now  admitted),  and  I  have  seen  them  perform  graceful  evo- 
lutions in  the  air,  in  the  manner  of  the  King-birds.  As  their 
name  indicates,  they  sometimes  eat  cherries,  but  much  less 
often  than  is  commonly  supposed  by  certain  farmers,  who  are 
but  too  ready  to  discharge  their  guns  at  these  birds,  in  spite 
of  their  usefulness  in  destroying  caterpillars. 


OF   NEW  ENGLAND.  139 

Nuttall  in  speaking  of  the  Cedar-birds  says  : — "  an  eye-wit- 
ness assures  me  he  has  seen  one  among  a  row  of  these  birds 
seated  upon  a  branch  dart  after  an  insect,  and  offer  it  to  his 
associate  when  caught,  who  very  disinterestedly  passed  it  to 
the  next ;  and,  each  delicately  declining  the  offer,  the  morsel 
has  proceeded  backwards  and  forwards  before  it  was  appropri- 
ated." 

(d).  The  "  wheezy"  lisp  of  the  Cedar-birds  seems  to  be  the 
only  sound  which  they  emit,  throughout  the  year,  and  they 
often  utter  it  when  on  wing.  Dr.  Brewer  says  of  a  young 
cage-bird  that  "  besides  its  low  lisping  call,  this  bird  had  a  reg- 
ular faint  attempt  at  a  song  of  several  low  notes,  uttered  in  so 
inaudible  a  tone  that  it  would  be  almost  inaudible  at  even  a 
short  distance." 

The  Cherry-birds  are  certainly  handsome,  particularly  if 
their  crest  be  raised,  though  they  possess  but  little  bright  color- 
ing ;  and  there  are  probably  few  birds  who  find  a  readier  sale 
at  the  country  taxidermist's  than  these.  In  regard  to  their 
habits,  they  are  perhaps  uninteresting;  but  their  manner  of 
flight,  when  in  parties,  is  nearly  unsurpassed. 

(B)   GARRULUS.     Bohemian  Waxwing.    Northern  Waxwing. 

(A  Northern  bird,  of  which,  so  far  as  I  know,  no  specimen 
has  ever  been  obtained  in  this  State.) 

(a).  7-8  inches  long.  Like  (A),  except  as  follows.  Brown, 
partly  orange-tinted.  With  white  on  the  wings,  but  little  on 
the  head  ;  and  with  no  yellow  on  the  belly.  Under  tail-coverts, 
chestnut-red. 

(b).  These  birds  never  breed  in  the  United  States,  or  at 
least  the  southern  portions.  The  eggs  are  described  by  Dr. 
Brewer  as  measuring  about  1-00  X  '70,  or  less.  They  are  of  a 
color  varying  "  from  a  light  slate  to  a  yellowish  stone-color," 
and  are  much  spotted,  chiefly  with  some  dark  purplish  shade. 
They  are  considered  very  rare. 

(c) .  The  Waxwings  are  of  very  rare  occurrence  in  the  east- 
ern United  States,  being  habitual  residents  of  the  North  and 
West,  but  they  have  occasionally  wandered  so  far  to  the  south- 


140  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

ward  as  Massachusetts  and  even  Connecticut.  I  have  never 
seen  them,  but  I  suppose  their  habits  to  be  in  every  way  like 
those  of  the  Cedar-birds.  They  are  said  to  be  shy  and  watch- 
ful, but  very  affectionate.  Having  forgotten  to  do  so  before, 
I  may  here  remark  that  the  Cedar-birds  often  show  a  fondness 
for  some  one  tree,  to  which  they  persistently  return,  even  if 
disturbed  several  times.  One  Sunday  I  remarked  six  in  a  bare 
maple,  and,  again  passing  the  place  on  the  following  Sunday,  I 
was  surprised  to  observe  them  perched  in  the  same  tree,  as  if 
they  had  not  moved  for  a  week. 

§  12.  The  Hirundinid.89,  or  swallows,  may  be  distin- 
guished from  all  our  other  birds  by  the  following  combined 
features.  Tail-feathers  twelve ;  primaries  nine ;  tarsi  short 
and  scutellate  ;  bill  broad,  low,  short,  and  with  the  culmen  (or 
upper  outline)  only  half  as  long  as  the  gape,  which  extends  to 
the  longitude  of  the  eye.  They  have  remarkably  long  wings, 
conformably  to  their  mode  of  life  and  "constant  aerial  ac- 
tivity." Most  of  our  species  have  a  highly  metallic  lustre  (in 
certain  parts) ,  which,  except  in  the  martins,  is  similar  in  the 
two  sexes.  This  feature  is  not,  so  far  as  I  know,  observable 
in  any  other  family,  unless  among  the  ducks. 

Our  insessorian  birds  may,  in  regard  to  color,  be  classified 
as  follows : 

(1).   Partly  metallic  ;  sexes  alike.     Certain  swallows. 

(2).  Partly  metallic  ;  sexes  unlike.  Certain  hummingbirds 
(Troch.). 

(3).   Partly  metallic  in  male  only.     Certain  pigeons. 

(4).  Lustrous  or  brightly  colored;  sexes  alike.  Crows, 
certain  jays  and  warblers. 

(5).  Lustrous  or  brightly  colored;  sexes  unlike;  females 
duller,  etc.  Bluebirds,  martins,  certain  warblers,  finches,  and 
starlings ;  also  one  flycatcher  (S.  W.  of  U.  S.  etc.)  (and  the 
Blue  Crow?) 

(6).  No  metallic  tints;  sexes  much  alike;  male  character- 
ized by  a  color-patch,  wanting  or  much  restricted  in  the  female. 
"Wrens "or  kinglets,  nuthatches,  woodpeckers,  certain  war- 
blers (and  finches?). 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND. 


141 


(7).  Male  brightly,  female  plainly  colored.39  Tanagers ; 
certain  warblers,  finches,  and  starlings. 

[(8).  Plainly  colored;39  with  bright  crown-patch  in  both 
sexes,  certain  flycatchers ;  with  tail  brightjy  tipped,  the  wax- 
wings.] 

(9).  Plainly  or  dully  colored.39  Sexes  alike.  Thrushes, 
gnatcatchers,  titmice,  creepers,  wrens,  wagtails,  vireos,  shrikes, 
flycatchers,  swifts,  cuckoos,  owls,  most  of  the  hawks,  certain 
warblers,  swallows,  finches,  starlings,  jays,  and  pigeons. 

(10).  Plainly  or  dully  colored.39  Sexes  unlike.  '  Goat- 
suckers," kingfishers,  harriers,  and  smaller  falcons.  Perhaps 

so  certain  finches,  the  Bobolink,  and  Blue  Crow. 

The  swallows  are  preeminently  insectivorous  (perching  less 
often  than  any  other  oscine  birds),  and  consequently  migratory. 
They  are  also  preeminently  social  and  consequently  gregarious, 
at  least  very  often.  Most  of  them  breed  in  communities  or  in 
colonies,  to  which  they  return  each  spring  in  greater  numbers 
than  before.  These  settlements,  as  I  have  once  or  twice  ob- 
served among  the  Bank  Swallows,  are  formed  by  a  very  few 
pairs,  whose  number  is  often  slowly  increased  from  year  to 
year.  It  is  probably  in  this  manner  that  the  Cliff  Swallows 
have  gradually  become  dispersed  over  eastern  North  America, 
where  possibly  they  were  once  unknown.  There  are  probably 
no  birds  whose  past  history  would  be  more  interesting  than 
that  of  the  swallows.  No  birds  better  or  more  curiously 
exhibit  the  modifying  influence  of  civilization  than  these. 
Those  kinds  who  formerly  built  on  cliffs,  or  in  the  hollows  of 
trees,  now  build  their  nests,  almost  exclusively  in  Massachu- 
setts, in  situations  about  the  buildings  of  man.  It  is  said  by 
Dr.  Coues,  who  quotes  from  Dr.  Rufus  Haymond,  in  "The 
American  Naturalist,"  for  June,  1876,  that  an  instance  of  the 
Bank  Swallow  using  an  artificial  nest,  so  to  speak,  has  already 
occurred.  Dr.  Haymond  says:  "The  White  Water  Valley 


89  Black  and  white,  the  various  browns  and  grays,  are  eminently  the  plain  col- 
ors. In  this  synopsis,  however,  grayish-blue,  olive,  olive-green,  and  even  yellow, 
especially  in  connection  with  green,  are  often  considered  plain  colors  (chiefly  in 
contrast). 


142  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

Railway,  in  Brookville,  Indiana,  is  built  upon  stone  piers,  and 
spans  the  hydraulic  canal,  some  five  or  six  feet  above  the  water. 
While  at  the  depot  during  the  past  summer  I  saw  a  bank 
swallow  fly  under  the  building  with  several  blades  of  grass  in 
her  bill ;  and  being  curious  to  see  what  she  would  do  with 
them,  I  watched  her,  and  saw  her  carry  them  through  a  two- 
inch  auger  hole,  which  had  been  bored  through  a  pine  board. 
The  spot  was  inaccessible,  owing  to  the  water;  but  I  know 
from  the  droppings  about  the  hole  that  this  was  her  nest." 
3'  It  is  almost  needless  to  add  that  this  species  usually  burrows 
in  sand.  The  swallows  lay  four  or  five  eggs,  which  are  white, 
unmarked,  or  spotted  with  brown  and  purplish. 

I.   HIRUNDO 

(A)   HORREORUM.     Barn  Swallow. 

(A  very  common  summer-resident  in  most  inhabited  parts  of 
New  England.) 

(a).  About  4^-  inches  long  from  bill  to  fork  of  the  tail. 
Above,  a  dark  lustrous  steel-blue.  An  imperfect  collar,  the 
same.  Under  parts  and  forehead,  chestnut-red.  Belly  and 
lower  breast,  paler.  Tail  forficate.  Outer  feathers  much 
longer  than  the  others  (from  £-2  inches),  and  all,  except  the 
middle  pair,  with  a  white  spot. 

(6).  The  nest  is  placed  on  the  beams  or  rafters  of  a  barn  or 
similar  building,  and  usually  is  finished  here  by  the  middle  of 
May.  A  set  of  four  or  five  eggs  is  then  laid,  and  often  another 
in  June,  or  even  the  early  part  of  July.  The  eggs  average 
•75  X  "55  of  an  inch,  and  are  white,  sprinkled  tolerably  thickly 
with  purplish  and  brown. 

(c).  The  Barn  Swallows  are  to  be  found  almost  throughout 
New  England.  They  reach  the  neighborhood  of  Boston  ge'ner- 
ally  in  the  last  week  of  April,  but  sometimes  earlier,  and  re- 
turn to  the  South  in  the  first  week  of  September.  They  are 
usually  very  common  in  those  places  where  they  are  found, 
since  they  are  almost  invariably  more  or  less  colonial.  They 
are  particularly  abundant  in  old  country-villages,  and  about 
farms,  where  most  of  the  barns,  on  account  of  their  liberal 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  143 

size,  afford  them,  among  cob  webbed  rafters,  plenty  of  suitable 
nesting-places.  I  shall  sketch  the  habits  of  these  birds  by  con- 
sidering their  manner  of  life,  through  the  latter's  various 
stages. 

The  Barn  Swallows,  when  young,  are  constantly  supplied 
with  food  by  their  parents,  until  they  are  able  to  take  short 
flights  from  beam  to  beam  in  the  barns.  Later,  they  venture 
from  these  buildings,  but  are  obliged  to  be  at  rest  much  of  the 
time  and  still  to  be  fed  by  their  parents.  As  they  become 
more  accustomed  to  the  exercise  of  their  wings,  they  fly  more 
boldly,  procure  much  or  all  of  their  own  food,  and  are  by  the 
first  of  September  strong  enough  to  bear  the  fatigue  of  their 
long  migratory  flights  to  the  South.  On  their  return  in  the 
spring,  they  are  capable  of  remaining  on  wing  through  at  least 
fifteen  hours  of  the  twenty-four.  Their  manner  of  flight  is 
rapid  and  graceful,  and  so  interesting  as  to  well  repay  close  at- 
tention. They  rarely  fly  far  near  the  ground,  nor  do  they  reach 
such  a  height  as  some  other  species.  They  prefer  telegraph- 
wires  to  other  perches,  and  on  these  long  rows  of  them  may 
often  be  seen ;  and  in  fact  these  wires  seem  almost  to  influ- 
ence these  birds  in  their  choice  of  a  summer-home. 

It  was  formerly  believed  that  the  Barn  Swallows,  and  others, 
passed  the  winter  torpid  in  mud  at  the  bottom  of  lakes,  and 
in  caves.  Much  astounding  evidence  has  been  produced  to 
prove  the  correctness  of  this  absurd  theory,  which  is,  however, 
too  unnatural  to  long  exist  under  the  regime  of  modern  sci- 
ence. Wilson  is  eloquent  in  his  condemnation  of  this  belief, 
and  considers  it  too  ridiculous  to  be  worthy  of  serious  refuta- 
tion, which  is,  in  fact,  the  case. 

(d).  The  young  Barn  Swallows  often  utter  a  series  of  twit- 
ters, which  resemble  the  laugh  of  a  tickled  child,  and  the  older 
birds  also  have  various  twitters,  some  of  which  are  sprightly 
and  musical. 

(e).  I  shall  not  describe  at  length  the  twitters  and  guttural 
cries  of  the  various  swallows,  both  because  they  are  more 
easily  learned  than  described,  and  because  when  described  can 
hardly  aid  one  in  distinguishing  the  different  species. 


144  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

The  Barn  Swallows  are  so  well  known,  that  I  have  men- 
tioned no  details  in  their  habits.  Their  colonizations,  their 
constantly  uttered  notes,  and  their  flights,  are  familiar  to  nearly 
all,  and  the  latter  have  long  since  been  made  the  theme  of 
many  an  author. 

II.   PETROCHELIDON 

(A)  LUNIFRONS.  Cliff  Swallow.  Eave  Sivallow.  "Republi- 
can." 

(Locally  very  abundant  in  New  England,  but  much  less  so, 
probably,  than  they  will  be  ten  years  hence.) 

(a).  About  five  inches  long.  Tail  scarcely  forked.  Upper 
parts,  and  a  spot  on  the  breast,  steel-blue.  Rump^  sides  of 
the  head,  and  throat,  chestnut-red.  Breast,  paler,  belly,  white. 
Forehead,  brownish. 

(b).  The  nest  is  generally  somewhat  bottle-shaped,  is  com- 
posed chiefly  of  a  delicate  mud-plaster,  often  intermixed  with 
bits  of  straw,  and  is  naturally  brittle.  It  is  placed  under  the 
outside  eaves  of  barns  or  outhouses,  and  never  (?)  in  Massa- 
chusetts on  cliffs,  as  is  usual  in  wilder  parts  of  the  country,  in 
accordance  with  the  original  habits  of  these  swallows.  Several 
of  these  nests,  sometimes  as  many  as  a  hundred,  are  generally 
placed  in  a  row.  The  eggs  are  essentially  like  those  of  the 
Bam  Swallow  (I,  A,  6),  so  much  so  as  often  to  be  indistin- 
guishable, and  are  laid  about  the  same  time. 

(c).  The  Cliff  Swallows,  who  in  many  ways  closely  resem- 
ble the  Barn  Swallows,  are  resident  in  Eastern  Massachusetts 
from  the  first  week  of  May  until  September.  They  are  very 
abundant  in  certain  localities  in  New  England ;  but,  as  they 
are  eminently  colonial,  they  are  not  to  be  found  scattered 
through  every  township.  They  have  essentially  the  same 
habits  as  the  Barn  Swallows,  except  that  they  alight  much 
more  frequently,  often  upon  the  ground  to  pick  up  mud  for 
their  nests.  Their  flight  is  not  very  noticeably  different  from 
that  of  their  relatives,  and  their  notes  also  bear  much  the  same 
character,  being,  however,  more  like  those  of  the  White-bellied 
than  those  of  the  Barn  Swallow.  It  is  difficult,  as  well  as 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  145 

almost  unnecessary  for  me  to  describe  these  minor  distinctions, 
and  I  shall  therefore  make  no  further  mention  of  them. 

The  most  interesting  remarks  to  be  made  upon  the  Eave 
Swallows  are  those  which  relate  to  their  immigration  from  the 
western  United  States  to  New  England  and  other  parts  of  the 
countrjr.  An  accurate  account  of  their  movements  within  the 
last  century  could  hardly  fail  to  be  interesting,  but  I  doubt  if 
a  sufficient  number  of  notes  and  dates  can  now  be  obtained  to 
effect  this  purpose.  Indeed,  the  history  of  the  so-called  "  Re- 
publicans "  would  probably  be  far  more  interesting  than  an 
account  of  their  habits  could  be  (partly  because  the  latter  are 
well  known,  and  the  former  is  not)  ;  but  T  regret  that  I  am 
unable  to  present  it  to  the  public.  "When  or  where"  the 
Cliff  Swallows  "first  appeared  in  Massachusetts,"  says  Dr. 
Brewer,  "  is  not  known.  I  first  observed  a  large  colony  of 
them  in  Attleboro'  in  1842.  Its  size  indicated  the  existence 
of  these  birds  in  that  place  for  several  years.  The  same  year 
they  also  appeared,  apparently  for  the  first  time,  in  Boston, 
Hingham,  and  in  other  places  in  the  neighborhood."  The 
Eave  Swallows  are  still  increasing  throughout  the  Eastern 
States,  and  are  constantly  making  their  appearance  in  places 
where  they  have  not  been  observed  before.  An  excellent  place 
to  study  them,  particularly  for  summer-tourists,  is  Mount 
Desert,  where  the  birds  were,  and  still  are,  I  suppose,  very 
abundant  (at  least  at  Bar  Harbor).  Their  habits  are  easily 
learned,  as  they  are  constantly  in  the  open  air,  and  about  the 
village-streets,  where  all,  who  wish  to,  may  gaze  upon  them. 

One  agreeable  trait  in  the  character  of  the  "  Republicans  " 
is  their  general  amiability.  In  spite  of  their  gregariousness 
and  crowded  dwellings,  they  never  become  confused,  and  rarely 
quarrel.  Could  a  map  be  drawn  indicating  the  position  of 
their  communities,  all  their  colonies  might  well  be  named 
Philadelphia. 

(d).    See  I,  A,  (e). 

NOTE. —  Bonaparte,  in  his  continuation  of  "Wilson's  Orni- 
thology," says  of  the  Cliff  Swallow:  " A  very  singular  trait 
distinguishes  the  migrations  of  this  bird.  While  the  European 
11 


146  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

or  white  variety  of  the  human  race  is  rapidly  spreading  over 
this  continent,  from  its  eastern  borders  to  the  remotest  plains 
beyond  the  Mississippi,  the  Cliff  Swallow  advances  from  the 
extreme  western  regions,  annually  invading  a  new  territory 
farther  to  the  eastward,  and  induces  us  to  conclude,  that  a  few 
more  summers  will  find  it  sporting  in  this  immediate  vicinity, 
and  familiarly  established  along  the  Atlantic  shores." 

"Within  ten  or  twelve  years  [date  of  writing,  1825],  they 
have  become  familiar  in  different  localities  of  Ohio,  Kentucky, 
&c.,  whence  they  are  extending  very  rapidly,  and  have  recently 
appeared  in  the  western  part  of  New-York.  In  order  to  show 
the  rapid  progress  of  this  little  stranger,  we  quote  the  follow- 
ing passage  from  Mr.  Clinton's  interesting  paper. 

"  The  Fulvous  Swallow  '  first  made  its  appearance  at  Win- 
chell's  tavern,  on  the  high  road,  about  five  miles  south  of 
Whitehall,  near  Lake  Champlain,  and  erected  its  nest  under 
the  eaves  of  an  outhouse,  where  it  was  covered  by  the  projec- 
tion of  a  roof.  This  was  in  1817,  and  in  this  year  there  was 
but  one  nest ;  the  sec6nd  year  seven  ;  the  third  twenty-eight ; 
the  fourth  forty;  and  in  1822  there  were  seventy,  and  the 
number  has  since  continued  to  increase.' 

'  It  appeared  in  1822  at  Whitehall,  on  the  fifth  of  June,  and 
departed  on  the  twenty-fifth  of  July,  and  these  are  the  usual 
times  of  its  arrival  and  disappearance.' " 

Audubon  states,  but  where  I  do  not  now  remember,  that  the 
Cliff  Swallows  were  somewhere  found  in  New  England  on  its 
first  settlement  at  that  place,  many  years  ago. 

III.   TACHYCINETA 

(A)  BICOLOR.  White-breasted  Swallow.  White-bellied  Swal- 
low. 

(A  common  summer-resident  nearly  throughout  New  Eng- 
land.) 

(a).  About  six  inches  long.  Lustrous  steel-green  above. 
White  beneath. 

(&).  The  nest  is  usually  built  in  a  martin-box  or  other  like 
receptacle,  and,  in  Massachusetts,  very  rarely  in  the  hole  of  a 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  147 

tree,  as  is  not  unfrequently  the  case  in  many  other  States. 
The  eggs  of  each  set  are  four  or  five,  average  -75  X  "55  of  an 
inch,  and  /ire  white,  unmarked.  Two  broods  are  generally 
raised. 

(c).  The  White-bellied  Swallows  usually  announce  spring  to 
the  people  of  Boston  and  the  vicinity  in  the  first  week  of  April ; 
but  after  their  arrival  they  are  sometimes  obliged,  when  dis- 
couraged by  the  cold,  to  retreat  temporarily  southward  to  a 
warmer  latitude.  As  our  ancestors  long  since  discovered  this 
fact  in  relation  to  their  swallows,  they  have  handed  down  to  us 
the  wise  proverb  that  "  one  swallow  does  not  make  a  summer." 
The  White-bellied  Swallows  return  to  their  winter-homes  about 
the  middle  of  September,  when  all  the  other  swallows  have 
gone  (and  I  have  seen  them  here  as  late  as  the  twenty-third). 
They  congregate  "upon  the  salt  marshes  during  the  latter  part 
of  August  and  first  of  September,  literally  by  millions  ;  the  air 
is  so  completely  filled  with  them  that  it  is  almost  impossible  to 
discharge  a  gun  without  killing  some"  (Maynard).  They  may 
also  be  seen  at  that  season  perched  in  long  lines  on  fences, 
ridge-poles,  and  wires,  or  slowly  moving  through  the  air  at  a 
considerable  height,  generally  in  large  flocks,  catching  insects 
as  they  fly.  In  spring  they  travel  more  often  singly,  and  fly 
rather  indirectly  but  with  great  rapidity,  no  doubt  occasionally 
deviating  from  their  course  to  seize  a  passing  gnat  or  fly. 

In  summer  they  are  to  be  found  in  nearly  all  the  cultivated 
districts  of  Massachusetts,  and  in  many  of  the  wild  as  well  as 
other  districts  of  more  northern  lands,  where,  in  many  places, 
they  retain  their  primitive  habit  of  nesting  in  hollow  trees, 
which,  says  Mr.  Maynard,  they  have  also  done  latety  at  Ips- 
wich, in  this  State.  As,  however,  they  are  now  rather  depend- 
ent upon  the  nesting-places  provided  by  man,  they  are  perhaps 
as  common  in  Boston  and  other  cities  as  in  the  country,  if  not 
more  so.  They  are  less  locally  distributed  than  other  species, 
and  on  this  account  are  probably  better  known.  They  are,  I 
think,  quicker  in  their  motions  than  the  other  swallows,  and 
also  differ  from  them  in  not  being  colonial,  except  in  their 
primitive  state,  though  several  sometimes  occupy  apartments 


148  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

in  the  same  box,  and  thus  show  the  social  spirit  of  their  family. 
They  often  skim  over  fields,  ponds,  or  rivers,  with  an  exquisite 
grace,  but  at  other  times  mount  to  a  great  height — so  far  as  to 
be  wellnigh  lost  to  ,sight.  They  are  less  peaceable  than  the 
Barn  Swallows,  and  often  quarrel  in  the  air  at  the  period  of 
mating ;  but  this  species  is  justly  regarded,  among  all  our 
birds,  as  one  of  man's  most  pleasing  companions. 

The  White-bellied  Swallows  are  fond  of  wandering,  more  so 
than  their  relatives,  and  often  may  be  seen  two  or  three  miles 
from  their  homes,  now  flying  across  the  valleys,  now  dashing 
above  the  hills,  and  now  gliding  over  the  water,  as  if  actually 
on  its  surface.  Embodiments  of  grace,  activity,  and  power, 
they  sweep  through  the  air,  and  show  us  by  their  ever  varied 
flight  how  many  things  have  been  created  to  give  us  pleasure 
from  variety  alone,  as  well  as  from  intrinsic  beauty. 

(d).  Their  notes  are  rather  more  eccentric  and  guttural  than 
those  which  I  have  already  mentioned,  but  are  equally  full  of 
animation. 

IV.   COTYLE 

(A)    RIPARIA.     Bank  Swallow.     Sand  Martin. 

(Locally  common  throughout  New  England.) 

(a).  About  five  inches  long.  Upper  parts,  and  a  band 
across  the  breast,  dull  brown.  Under  parts,  white. 

(6).  The  nest  is  constructed  of  a  few  loose  materials,  and  is 
placed  at  the  bottom  of  burrows  dug  out  by  the  birds.  These 
excavations  are  from  fifteen  to  twenty-four  inches  deep,  and  are 
made  in  sand-banks,  usually  those  on  the  sea-shore  or  near 
other  bodies  of  water,  but  sometimes  those  on  the  roadsides 
or  in  other  situations.  The  eggs  average  *68  X  "50  of  an  inch, 
and  are  white ;  being  almost  exactly  like  those  of  the  White- 
bellied  Swallow,  though  smaller.  Two  sets  of  four  or  five  are 
generally  laid  in  the  course  of  the  season,  of  which  the  first 
appears  here  in  the  latter  part  of  May. 

(c).  The  Bank  Swallows  are  in  New  England  the  most 
plainly  colored  of  their  family,  and  the  only  ones  who  retain 
here  their  former  habits  of  nesting.  They  migrate  at  the  same 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  149 

time  as  the  Cliff  Swallows,  but  I  have  never  observed  them  in 
company  with  those  birds.  They  may  be  seen  in  their  sum- 
mer-haunts flying  either  over  the  surface  of  land  and  water,  or 
at  some  height  in  the  air,  though  rarely  very  far  above  the 
ground.  They  fly  much  like  the  other  swallows,  though  per- 
haps less  steadily  and  with  less  sailing,  but  they  seldom  wan- 
der far  from  the  banks  in  which  their  nests  are  placed.  They 
are  found  throughout  New  England,  and  much  further  to  the 
northward,  but  are  much  confined  to  localities,  both  because 
of  their  disposition  to  colonize,  and  the  necessity  of  their  se- 
lecting a  place  where  the  earth  is  of  a  character  suitable  to 
their  purposes. 

Their  choice  of  a  summer-home  is  undoubtedly  influenced 
very  considerably  by  the  nature  of  the  soil,  as  it  is  impossible 
for  them  to  burrow  in  all  kinds  of  earth.  Extremely  inter- 
esting details  may  be  learned  through  the  study  of  their  exca- 
vations, as  these  latter  vary  greatly  in  size,  depth,  and  the 
angle  at  which  they  run,  in  accordance  with  the  variation  of 
the  soil.  The  Bank  Swallows  invariably  select  a  bank,  the 
sand  of  which  will  not  "cave  in,"  and  then  burrow  to  a 
stratum  where  the  pebbles,  which  might  fall  down  upon  their 
eggs  or  young,  are  not  found.  Their  colonies  sometimes  in- 
crease from  year  to  year  with  rapidity,  and,  if  not  disturbed, 
in  the  course  of  a  few  seasons  consist  of  a  large  number  of 
excavations. 

How  wonderful  is  that  instinct  which  enables  these  swallows 
to  find  out  the  best  places  for  their  homes,  and  how  wonderful 
their  skill  in  making  these  secure  !  When  a  small  party  boldly 
advance  to  a  country,  hitherto  unknown  to  them,  who  can  de- 
fine that  sense  which  enables  them  to  discover  and  select  the 
most  fitting  bank  for  their  purposes,  or  even  the  best  part  of 
it?  What,  indeed,  prompts  them  to  part  from  theif  fellows 
and  to  become  pioneers  in  new  settlements?  Instinct  can 
never  be  fully  understood  by  man,  nor  its  workings. 

Wilson,  speaking  of  the  "  Sand  Martins,"  says  : — "We.  have 
sometimes  several  days  of  cold  rain  and  severe  weather  af- 
ter their  arrival  in  spring,  from  which  they  take  refuge  in 


150  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

their  holes,  clustering  together  for  warmth,  and  have  been  fre- 
quently found  at  such  times  in  almost  a  lifeless  state  with  the 
cold,  which  circumstance  has  contributed  to  the  belief  that 
they  lie  torpid  all  winter  in  these  recesses." 

(d).  The  Bank  Swallows  are  usually  more  silent  than  the 
other  species,  though  one  might  not  gather  this  impression 
from  a  flock  ;  and  their  notes  are  less  musical. 

V.     PROGNE 

(A)  PURPUREA.40  Purple  Martin.  "Black  Martin."  Martin. 
"Cape  Cod  Swallow." 

(The  Martins,  though  formerly  abundant,  are  now  very  gen- 
erally rare  in  New  England,  being  confined  to  a  few  tracts  of 
country  and  to  localities.) 

(a).  7-8  inches  long.  "Lustrous  blue-black;  no  purple 
anywhere.  The  9  and  young  are  much  duller  above,  and  more 
or  less  white  below,  streaked  with  gray."  (Coues.) 

(&).  The  nest  arid  eggs  are  essentially  like  those  of  the 
White-bellied  Swallow  (III)  in  every  respect,  except  that  the 
latter  are  larger  than  the  eggs  of  that  bird,  averaging  *95X*70 
of  an  inch. 

(c).  The  Purple  Martins  reach  Eastern  Massachusetts  on 
the  first  of  May,  or  earlier,  and  leave  it  about  the  first  of  Sep- 
tember. They  are  very  locally  distributed,  and  in  many  places 
are  at  present  never  seen.  They  are  "  very  abundant  upon 
Cape  Cod,"  and  are  perhaps  as  common  in  Boston  and  other 
cities  as  in  the  country.  They  are  allied  in  many  ways  to  the 
White-bellied  Swallows — particularly  so  in  their  habits.  The 
latter,  however,  become  more  common  every  year ;  but  the 
former  have  deserted  many  places,  where  they  were  once  well 
known,  though  they  are  probably  multiplying  in  their  present 
homes. 

"The  Martin"  says  Wilson  "differs  from  all  the  rest  of  our 
Swallows  in  the  particular  prey  which  he  selects.  Wasps, 


40  Various  scientific  names  have  been  bestowed  upon  this  bird,  but  the  present 
seems  to  me  the  most  satisfactory. 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  151 

bees,  large  beetles,  particularly  those  called  by  the  boys  gold- 
smiths, seem  his  favorite  game.  I  have  taken  four  of  these 
large  beetles  from  the  stomach  of  a  Purple  Martin,  each  of 
which  seemed  entire  and  even  unbruised." 

"The  flight  of  the  Purple  Martin  unites  in  it  all  the  swift- 
ness, ease,  rapidity  of  turning  and  gracefulness  of  motion  of 
its  tribe.  Like  the  Swift  of  Europe,  he  sails  much  with  little 
action  of  the  wings.  *  *  *." 

(d).  "His  usual  note peuo peuo peuo,  is  loud  and  musical; 
but  it  is  frequently  succeeded  by  others  more  low  and  guttural." 
To  the  above  extract  I  have  nothing  of  interest  to  add. 

§  13.  The  Vireonid.88,  or  vireos  (sometimes  called  "green- 
lets" ),  possess  the  following  features  in  common  with  the  Lani- 
idce,  or  shrikes  (§  14),  at  least  with  our  subfamily,  Laniince. 

Bill  rather  short  and  stout,  distinctly  notched  and  hooked, 
also  well  furnished  with  bristles ;  tarsus  scutellate ;  primaries 
ten,  but  with  the  first  in  the  Vireonidce  often  spurious,  or 
seemingly  absent.  (Fig.  6.) 

The  Laniidce  differ  distinctly  in  being  more  than  seven  inches 
long,  in  having  the  "  sides  of  the  tarsi  scutellate  behind,"  and 
in  having  long,  rounded  tails.  The  bill,  moreover,  is  large 
and  stout  (not  so  broad  as  high,  and  scarcely  twice  as  long), 
while  the  feet  are  comparatively  weak.  The  shrikes  might 
well  be  called  "  raptorial  passeres,"  being  notorious  for  their 
boldness  and  mode  of  slaughter  among  others  birds,  etc.  They 
are  unsocial  and  unmusical,  though  perhaps  mimics.  Like  the 
vireos,  normally  they  are  never  seen  on  the  ground,  but  they 
possess  a  much  stronger  flight  than  their  small  relatives.  They 
build  rather  bulky  nests  in  the  woods,  and  lay  eggs,  rather 
coarsely  marked,  and  never  (  ?)  with  a  pure  white  ground.  The 
Butcher-bird  is  a  type  (fig.  7).  The  vireos,  on  the  other  hand, 
are  small,  insectivorous  birds,  allied  in  habits  to  many  of  the 
warblers.  They  frequent,  for  the  most  part,  woodland,  and 
are  rarely*  if  ever  seen  upon  the  ground.  They  usually  flutter 
among  the  branches  in  search  of  their  prey,  though  they  occa- 
sionally snap  it  up  in  passing  from  tree  to  tree.  They  are 


152  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

not  gregarious,  but  are  extremely  affectionate  toward  one  an- 
other, and  peaceable  in  their  relations  to  other  birds.  They 
are  very  musical,  and  warble  cheerfully,  energetically,  and  often 
very  sweetly.  They  build  small,  cup-shaped,  pensile  nests, 
which  are  rarely  softly  lined.  The  eggs  are  four  or  five,  and 
pure  white,  with  a  few  small  spots  near  the  larger  end,  of  some 
shade  of  brown. 

Our  species  have  been  divided  into  several  subgenera,  but  I 
have  here  followed  Dr.  Coues  in  uniting  them  under  one  genus. 

I.   VIREO 

(A)    SOLITARIUS.   Solitary  Vireo.     Blue-headed  Vireo. 

(Rather  rare  in  Massachusetts,  especially  as  a  summer-resi- 
dent.) 

(a).  About  5^  inches  long.  Olive-green  above,  and  white 
beneath.  Head,  bluish-ash ;  eye-ring,  and  line  to  bill,  white. 
Sides  olive-shaded.  Wing-  and  tail-feathers  white-edged,  and 
wings  white-barred. 

(b).  The  nest  of  the  Solitary  Vireo  is  open  and  pensile,  like 
those  of  the  other  vireos.  It  is  placed,  never  far  from  the 
ground,  in  the  fork  of  a  horizontal  branch,  always  in  the  woods, 
and  sometimes  in  swampy  ones.  It  is  usually  larger,  and  more 
loosely  constructed  of  somewhat  finer  materials,  than  that  of 
the  "Red-eye"  (c).  One,  now  lying  before  me,  is  composed 
chiefly  of  thin  strips  of  pliable  bark,  is  lined  with  fine  grasses 
and  a  very  few  roots,  and  is  somewhat  ornamented  outwardly 
with  plant-down,  lichens,  and  bits  of  dead  leaves.  Audubon 
speaks  of  others  as  being  lined  with  hairs,  which  I  have  never 
known  to  be  the  case.  In  Massachusetts,  three  or  four  eggs 
are  laid  in  the  first  week  in  June.  They  average  *77  X  '58  of 
an  inch,  and  are  pure  white,  with  a  very  few  minute  and  gener- 
ally reddish-brown  spots  principally  at  the  larger  end. 

(c) .  The  Solitary  Vireos  are  less  well  known  than  our  other 
vireos,  since  they  are  more  given  to  solitude,  and  never  fre- 
quent the  immediate  neighborhood  of  man.  In  this  respect 
they  resemble  the  White-eyed  Vireos,  but  are  much  less  com- 
mon here,  for  in  the  breeding-season  the  southern  limit  of 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  153 

their  range  is  about  the  northern  limit  of  the  latter's  range. 
They  are  common  summer-residents  throughout  northern  New 
England,  inhabiting  the-re  the  woods  strictly,  but  as  such  are 
very  rare  in  Massachusetts.  Indeed,  some  ornithologists  have 
expressed  doubt  as  to  their  actually  breeding  here,  but  I  have 
found  their  nest  near  Boston,  and  have  seen,  with  the  bird  on 
it,  a  nest  in  the  Nashua  Valley  (below  Lancaster)  which  a  com- 
panion found.  I  have  heard  of  other  instances,  which  establish 
the  fact  beyond  doubt. 

The  Solitary  Vireos  are  in  Massachusetts  to  be  found  as  mi- 
grants in  the  last  week  of  April  and  again  in  September,  but 
are  not  at  either  time  abundant.  They  inhabit  throughout  the 
year  both  the  dry  and  swampy  woods  of  oaks,  maples,  and  nut 
trees,  avoiding  the  evergreens,  and  among  the  branches  search 
for  their  insect-food.  Though  fond  of  retirement,  they  are  not 
shy  or  timid,  especially  when  moved  by  parental  affection.  I 
have  known  the  females  to  stay  on  their  nests  until  I  could 
almost  lay  my  hand  upon  them,  and  then  to  remain  immedi- 
ately about  my  person,  often  approaching  within  a  foot  of  me, 
and  constantly  uttering  their  plaintive  cries.  These  notes 
generally  bring  the  males  to  the  scene,  who  are,  however,  as  is 
the  case  with  many  birds,  less  willing  to  expose  themselves. 

(d).  The  music  of  the  Solitary  Vireos  is  delicious,  but  is 
particularly  agreeable  in  an  otherwise  still,  and  cool  forest, 
being  peculiarly  harmonious  with  those  two  charms  of  Nature, 
woodland  stillness  and  woodland  coolness.  Their  song,  like 
that  of  the  Red-eyed  Vireos,  is  a  continuous  warble,  but  is 
more  musical,  mellow,  and  tender,  and  is  uttered  in  another 
tone.  It  is  particularly  sweet  at  the  mating- season,  which 
comes  in  the  early  part  of  May.  These  birds,  who  are  unfor- 
tunately almost  silent  during  their  migrations,  have  a  few  low 
whistles  also,  and  a  querulous  note  (like  the  syllable  anfc), 
much  like  that  of  the  "  Red-eye,"  but  yet  distinct. 

(B)    FLAVIFRONS.     Yellow-throated  Vireo. 
(Not  a  common  summer-resident  in  Massachusetts,  except 
locally.) 


154  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

(a).  Nearly  six  inches  long.  Olive-green  above,  becoming 
bluish-ash  on  the  rump.  Throat'  and  breast,  bright  yellow ; 
belly,  white.  Eye-ring,  etc.,  yellow.  Wings  and  tail  generally 
dark  ;  former  with  two  white  bars. 

(6).  The  nest  of  this  species  is  pensile,  but  rather  larger 
and  deeper  than  those  of  the  other  vireos,  being  between  3  and 
3J  inches  wide,  and  nearly  as  deep.  It  is  placed  in  the  fork 
of  a  horizontal  branch,  from  three  to  fifteen  feet  above  the 
ground,  as  often  in  the  orchard  as  in  the  woods,  though  I  have 
found  it  in  pines.  It  is  composed  of  narrow  strips  of  thin 
bark,  such  as  that  of  the  cedar  or  large  vines,  is  lined  with 
pine-needles  or  grasses,  and  is  usually  ornamented  on  the 
outside  with  caterpillar's  silk  and  large  pieces  of  lichen.  The 
four  eggs,  which  are  generally  laid  here  in  the  first  week  of 
June,  average  '80  X  *60  of  an  inch,  and  are  white,  with  black 
and  either  purplish  or  brownish  spots,  which  are  sometimes, 
but  not  usually,  quite  numerous  (about  the  crown). 

(c).  The  Yellow-throated  Vireos  reach  Eastern  Massachu- 
setts in  the  second  week  of  May,  and  leave  it  in  September. 
They  are  locally  distributed  through  our  State,  and  are  rare  in 
certain  neighborhoods.  They  are  (perhaps)  our  handsomest 
vireos,  and  certainly  possess  great  charms  as  singers.  They 
excel  all  their  relations  in  architectural  taste  and  skill,  and 
construct  a  beautiful  nest,  ornamented  outwardly  with  lichens, 
plant-down,  and  caterpillar's  silk,  but  plainly  or  even  roughly 
finished  inside  —  thus  differing  from  that  of  the  hummingbird, 
which  it  otherwise  resembles  very  much,  except  in  being  pen- 
sile. It  is  altogether  one  of  the  prettiest  nests  to  be  found 
among  our  specimens  of  bird-architecture.  It  is  extremely 
interesting  to  watch  it  in  the  progress  of  its  construction. 
The  birds  are  occupied  about  a  week  in  that  process,  beginning 
by  firmly  twining  dry  grasses  around  the  twigs  from  which  it 
is  to  be  suspended,  and  always  working  downwards  until  the 
frame  is  completed.  It  is  almost  impossible,  even  on  watching 
them  closely,  to  tell  exactly  how  they  weave  the  grasses  to- 
gether, or  how  they  attach  many  of  their  ornamentations. 
Wonderful  is  that  innate  skill  which  enables  them,  with  their 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND. 


155 


simply  constructed  bill  alone,  to  fashion  a  home  for  themselves, 
of  which  man  with  his  complicatedly  organized  fingers,  and 
the  aid  of  all  his  inventions,  cannot  (probably)  make  the 
like  !  It  seems  probable  that  instinct  rather  than  any  acquired 
skill  insures  perfection  (and  yet  it  is  perhaps  true  that  many 
birds  have  improved  in  architecture  from  generation  to  genera- 
tion41). On  the  last  day,  the  female  is  chiefly  occupied  in 
smoothing  and  shaping  the  nest  by  turning  round  and  round 
inside,  and  then  on  the  following  day,  or  the  next,  begins  to 
lay  her  eggs. 

The  Yellow-throated  Vireos  frequent  the  woods  which  are 
lightly  timbered  with  oaks,  chestnuts,  and  maples,  or  even 
pines,  and  also  orchards.  Among  the  branches  of  the  trees 
in  these  places  they  are  almost  continually  moving  in  search 
of  caterpillars  and  other  insect-food. 

(d).  Their  song  lacks  the  expression  of  the  Solitary,  the 
volubility  of  the  Red-eyed,  the  quaintness  of  the  White-eyed, 
and  the  tenderness  of  the  Warbling  Vireo's  song,  and  yet,  with 
all  these  wants,  is  very  charming.  It  is  difficult  to  describe  it 
exactly,  but  it  consists  of  two  or  three  warbled  notes  on  an 
ascending  scale,  and  then,  after  a  pause,  others  with  a  falling 
accent,  all  being  repeated  disjointedly  in  a  characteristic  voice. 
Their  ordinary  querulous  note  is  distinct  from  that  of  the 
"Red-eye,"  being  somewhat  harsher,  and  is  often  rapidly  re- 
peated. 

I  may  finally  say  of  these  birds  whose  biography  I  have  just 
written,  that  they  are  useful  to  the  farmer  and  agriculturist, 
and  deserve  on  all  accounts  to  be  protected. 

(C)    OLIVACEUS.     Red-eyed  Vireo. 

(A  common  summer-resident  throughout  New  England.) 
(a).   About  six  inches   long.     Olive-green  above  (often  of 
quite  an  indescribable  shade),  becoming  ashy  on  the  crown, 
which  is  bordered  by  a  narrow  black  line.     Superciliary  line 


« It  is  to  be  considered  that  such  improvement  as  is  here  referred  to  arises  from 
adaptation  to  circumstances  rather  than  from  efforts  to  realize  an  ideal. 


156  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

white;  eye-stripe  dusky.  Under  parts,  white;  sides  olive- 
shaded.  Wings  and  tail,  generally  dusky.  Iris  red. 

(6).  The  nest  is  hung  from  a  fork,  usually  near  the  end  of 
a  limb,  between  four  and  twenty  feet  above  the  ground,  in  the 
woods,  in  a  shade-tree,  in  an  orchard-tree,  or  occasionally  in  a 
pine.  It  is  small,  and  cup-shaped  ;  but,  though  very  service- 
able, is  rarely  very  neatly  made.  It  is  constructed  of  strips 
of  thin  bark,  occasionally  of  that  of  the  white  birch,  is  lined 
almost  invariably  with  pine-needles,  where  pines  exist,  and  is 
sometimes  ornamented,  if  I  may  say  so,  with  chips,  bits  of 
newspaper  or  wasps'  nests,  and  caterpillar's  silk.  It  is  finished 
here  about  the  first  of  June ;  and  in  the  first  week  of  that 
month  four  or  five  eggs  are  laid.  These  eggs  average  -83  X  *62 
of  an  inch,  and  are  white,  with  a  few  brownish-black  spots  at 
the  larger  end.  A  second  set  is  sometimes  laid  in  July. 

(c).  When  I  announce  that  I  am  going  to  write  about  the 
habits  of  one  of  our  most  familiar  birds  and  the  most  voluble 
songster  that  we  possess,  who  all  through  the  day,  when  nearly 
eveiy  other  bird  is  quiet,  prolongs  his  cheerful  warble  in  almost 
eveiy  grove  —  sometimes  even  among  the  trees  of  our  cities, 
though  such  haunts  he  usually  avoids — many  will  know  that  I 
refer  to  the  Red-eyed  Vireo.  These  vireos  may  be  found 
throughout  New  England,  in  the  latter  part,  if  not  nearly  the 
whole,  of  May,  in  the  summer-months,  and  in  September. 
They  inhabit  many  kinds  of  woods,  also  groves,  and  clumps  or 
rows  of  trees  about  houses,  particularly  those  near  wooded  land. 

They  show  more  familiarity  to  man  than  the  other  species, 
except  the  Warbling  Vireos,  and  are  almost  everywhere  common 
and  well-known.  They  rarely  pursue  insects  in  the  air  in  the 
manner  of  the  flycatchers,  but  seize  them  as  they  themselves 
flutter  among  the  branches  of  the  trees,  in  which  they  usually 
remain  at  no  very  great  height  from  the  ground.  I  have  noticed 
that  the  males,  while  the  females  are  upon  their  nests,  generally 
select  a  spot  at  some  distance  from  them,  which  they  make 
their  haunt  and  concert-grove.  They  have  never  struck  me  as 
very  active  insect-hunters,  since  they  devote  so  much  of  their 
time  to  music.  They  evidently,  however,  never  suffer  from 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  157 

hunger,  and  they  are  certainly  diligent  in  the  care  of  their 
young.  They  are  very  affectionate  toward  one  another,  and 
are  fond  of  returning  to  the  same  spot  year  after  year.  It  is 
pleasant  to  observe  this  attachment  to  their  summer-homes, 
and  to  know  where  to  welcome  them  as  old  friends,  when  they 
return  in  the  spring. 

(d).  Their  song  consists  of  a  few  notes,  which  are  warbled 
again  and  again  with  little  intermission  or  variety  (and  which 
are  sometimes  interrupted  now  and  then  by  a  low  whistle). 
This  music  would  be  monotonous,  were  it  not  for  its  wonderful 
cheerfulness,  energy,  and  animation,  in  these  qualities  resem- 
bling the  Robin's  song.  The  "Red-eyes"  have  also  a  chip*  a 
chatter  like  a  miniature  of  the  Oriole's  scold  (and  to  be  heard 
in  the  season  of  courtship),  and  a  peculiarly  characteristic 
querulous  note,  which,  like  others,  cannot  be  described  accur- 
ately, whence  the  advantage  of  studying  birds  through  nature, 
and  not  through  books. 

The  Red-eyed  Vireos  are  deservedly  popular  on  account  of 
their  cheerful  disposition,  and  enlivening  song,  which  is  kept 
up  (less  steadily,  however,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  season) 
from  the  time  of  their  arrival  until  they  leave  us  for  the  South, 
when  the  autumnal  frosts  become  too  severe,  and  the  weather 
too  cold,  Ao  admit  of  a  sufficiency  of  the  insect-food  upon 
which  they  depend. 

(D)     GILVUS.     Warbling  Vireo. 

(A  common  summer-resident  in  Massachusetts,  but  very 
much  less  abundant  than  the  "Red-eye.") 

(a).  About  five  inches  long.  Above,  a  dull  olive-green, 
which  approaches  mouse-color.  Crown,  ashy-tinged.  Rump, 
brighter ;  wings  darker  and  browner ;  and  sides  of  the  head 
paler.  Superciliary  line,  dull  white.  Under  parts,  white  —  dis- 
tinctly shaded  on  the  sides  (but  feebly  on  the  breast)  with  the 
color  of  the  back,  or  light  olive-green. 

(b).  The  nest  is  usually  placed  at  a  considerable  height 
above  the  ground  (from  twenty  to  sixty  feet),  and  rarely  else- 
where than  in  an  elm,  poplar,  or  button- wood  tree.  It  is 


158  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

always  pensile,  but  Audubon  speaks  of  one  fastened  to  the 
trunk  of  a  tree,  in  which  situation  I  have  never  found  it,  so 
far  as  I  remember.  The  eggs  of  the  Warbling  Vireo  are  white, 
with  a  few  "reddish-black"  or  brown  spots  at  the  larger  end, 
and  average  about  -77X'58  of  an  inch.  A  set  of  four  or  five 
is  laid  near  Boston  in  the  first  week  of  June. 

(c).  The  Warbling  Vireos  reach  Eastern  Massachusetts  in 
the  second  week  of  May,  and  leave  it  in  the  same  week  of 
September.  They  are  common  in  many  parts  of  our  State, 
and  I  have  seen  them  in  Northern  New  Hampshire,  but  in 


Fig.  6.    Warbling  Vireo 


some  localities  they  are  very  rare.  Though  they  do  not,  I 
think,  show  quite  so  much  familiarity  towards  man  (at  least 
here),  as  some  authors  have  represented,  yet  they  are  certainly 
to  be  found,  to  some  extent,  in  cities,  towns,  villages,  and 
thickly  populated  neighborhoods  —  for  instance  among  the  elms 
of  Boston  Common.  Though  occasionally  seen  in  the  haunts 
of  the  Yellow-throated  Vireos  (B),  they  seem  to  be  particularly 
fond  of  rows  of,  or  solitary,  elms,  poplars,  and  basswood  trees 
—  particularly  those  beside  roads  or  near  houses.  They  usu- 
ally remain  among  the  higher  branches  as  they  search  for 
insects;  and,  on  account  of  their  size  and  quiet  colors,  they 
might  easily  be.  overlooked,  were  it  not  for  their  music. 

(d).  Their  ordinary  notes  are  like  those  of  the  Red-eyed 
Vireos,  but  less  loud  and  querulous.  Their  song  is  exquisitely 
sweet,  and,  though  quite  distinct,  recalls  vividly  that  of  the 
Purple  Finch  (§  15,  III).  Dr.  Coues,  in  speaking  of  the  War- 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  159 

bling  Vireo,  says  that  "its  voice  is  not  strong,  and  many  birds 
excel  it  in  brilliancy  of  execution ;  but  not  one  of  them  all 
can  rival  the  tenderness  and  softness  of  the  liquid  strains  of 
this  modest  vocalist.  Not  born  '  to  waste  its  sweetness  on  the 
desert  air,'  the  warbling  vireo  forsakes  the  depths  of  the  wood- 
land for  the  park  and  orchard  and  shady  street,  where  it  glides 
through  the  foliage  of  the  tallest  trees,  the  unseen  messenger 
of  rest  and  peace  to  the  busy,  dusty  haunts  of  men." 

(E)  PHILADELPHICUS.  (Brotherly-love  Vireo.)  Philadel- 
phia Vireo. 

(a).  This  vireo,  if  a  distinct  species,  differs  from  Vireo  gil- 
vus  (D)  in  a  doubtful  .technicality  only.  Dr.  Coues  pronounces 
it  "almost  indistinguishable  from  gilvus,  except  by  absence  of 
spurious  quill,"  and  says  that  the  colors  of  the  latter  species 
are  "precisely"  the  same.  Is  it  not  doubtful  if  one  feather 
among  hundreds  (though,  perhaps,  an  important  one)  can 
characterize  a  bird  as  more  than  a  variety  ? 

(6).  (d).  I  suppose  that  the  nest,  eggs,  and  song  of  this 
bird  are  essentially  the  same  as  those  of  the  Warbling  Vireo. 

(c).  The  Philadelphia  Vireo  is  probably  a  migrant  through 
Massachusetts,  having  been  obtained  at  Philadelphia,  also  in 
Maine,  and  at  Moose  Factory  (to  the  southward  of  Hudson's 
Bay  and  James  Bay).  I  have  never  seen  it  here,  so  far  as  I 
know,  nor  have  I  seen  any  specimens  shot  here.  I  have  no 
observations  to  make  upon  its  habits,  which  I  suppose  to  cor- 
respond closely  to  those  of  its  immediate  relations.  I  have 
since  learned  that  this  bird  has  been  obtained  in  this  State. 
Mr.  Brewster,  in  the  "  Bulletin  of  the  Nuttall  Ornithological 
Club,"  says:  "On  Sept.  7th,  1875,  I  shot  a  female  of  this 
beautiful  little  species  in  Cambridge,  Mass.  It  was  feeding  in 
company  with  several  individuals  of  Vireo  olivaceus,  in  a  low 
willow  tree." 

In  a  more  recent  number,  Mr.  Rnthven  Deane  says  that 
several  specimens  have  been  obtained  in  Maine,  both  in  June 
and  September,  and  that  the  Philadelphia  Vireos  may  be  con- 
sidered summer-residents  about  Lake  Uinbagog. 


160  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 


(F)    NOVEBORACENSIS.      White-eyed  Vireo.     "Politician" 

(In  southern  New  England  a  rather  common  summer-resi- 
dent, though  very  locally  distributed.) 

(a).  About  five  inches  long.  Above,  bright  olive-green; 
below,  white.  Sides  of  the  body,  eye-ring,  wing-bars,  etc., 
(bright)  yellow.  Iris  white. 

(6).  The  nest  is  almost  invariably  placed  in  a  low  tree,  bush, 
or  vine,  two  or  three  feet  from  the  ground,  generally,  but  not 
always,  in  the  woods,  whether  dry  or  wet.  It  is  pensile,  and  es- 
sentially like  that  of  the  "  Red-eye,"  though  prettier  and  often 
characterized  by  being  largely  composed  of  newspaper,  or 
paper  from  wasps'  and  hornets'  nests.  The  eggs,  moreover, 
are  strongly  like  those  of  the  Red-eyed  Vireo,  but  are  gener- 
ally a  little  smaller,  and  longer  in  shape.  They  are  laid,  near 
Boston,  about  the  first  of  June. 

(c).  The  White-eyed  Vireos  differ  from  their  relatives  in 
several  respects.  They  are  summer-residents  in  Eastern  Mas- 
sachusetts, but  are  so  locally  distributed  as  to  be  extremely  rare 
or  wanting  in  some  places,  though  quite  common  in  others. 
To  the  westward  of  the  Connecticut  River,  in  New  England, 
they  are  so  uncommon  that  the  few  specimens  obtained  may 
almost  be  considered  stragglers.  They  reach  the  neighborhood 
of  Boston,  at  least  those  who  breed  here,  in  the  second  week 
of  May ;  but  as  to  their  general  distribution  and  migrations  I 
have  not  clearly  made  up  my  mind.  Massachusetts  has  been 
generally  considered  their  northern  limit,  but  I  feel  quite  con- 
fident of  having  seen  them,  in  past  years,  apparently  migrating 
through  this  State,  in  April  and  October.  I  have  once  or  twice 
seen  the  Solitary  Vireos  in  the  latter  month,  when  they  were 
obliged  to  feed  upon  berries,  as  the  "  Red-eyes"  do  in  Septem- 
ber, and  I  find  in  my  note-book  that  I  observed  a  "White-eye" 
(or  a  species,  hitherto  undescribed,  much  resembling  it)  on  the 
18th  of  October,  traveling  with  many  other  birds  in  a  "wave." 

These  "bird-waves"  are  extremely  interesting,  and,  to  show 
their  nature,  I  shall  quote  from  my  Journal  : 

"Nov.  15th,  1873.     This  morning,  while  wandering   about 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  161 

the  place  under  the  delusion  that  the  passage-birds  (or  most 
of  them)  had  fairly  gone,  an  immense  flock  of  birds  suddenly 
appeared,  evidently  traveling  from  the  North  southward,  and 
were  soon  scattered  over  the  place.  Among  them  were  many 
Snow-birds,  White- throated,  Fox-colored,  Tree,  and  Song  Spar- 
rows, Ruby-crowned  '  Wrens/  Golden-crowned  '  Wrens,'  Nut- 
hatches, Brown  Creepers,  and  Chickadees.  Never  have  I  seen 
an  assemblage  of  birds  exhibiting  such  a  variety  of  species. 
At  noon  most  of  them  had  disappeared." 

The  White-eyed  Vireos  frequent  lightly  timbered  woods,  par- 
ticularly those  which  are  in  low  land  and  contain  a  second 
growth  about  the  taller  trees,  and  also  swamps,  thickets,  and 
the  "  scrub."  They  have  a  habit  of  moving  their  tails,  much 
like  the  Shrikes.  They  keep  nearer  to  the  ground  than  our 
other  vireos,  and  are  so  shy,  that,  if  they  were  silent,  they 
would  rarely  be  seen  as  they  busy  themselves  in  the  common 
pursuit  of  their  family,  that  of  insects. 

(d).  When,  however,  their  nest  is  approached,  they  display 
themselves,  and  are  usually  very  vehement  in  their  expressions 
of  anger  (unlike  their  relations,  particularly  the  Solitary  Vi- 
reos), and  utter  a  harsh  scold  or  chatter,  and  sometimes  a 
peculiar  mewing,  or  other  querulous  cry.  Their  song  is  very 
peculiar  or  even  eccentric,  and  is  very  loud  for  such  small  birds. 
It  is  full  of  character,  energy,  and  vehemence,  though  some  of 
the  lower  whistles  are  sweet  and  quite  different  in  tone.  It 
partakes  of  the  owners'  nature,  much  as  the  human  voice  does, 
and  indicates  the  almost  fiery  temperament  of  these  little  vi- 
reos, which  is  so  markedly  in  contrast  with  the  cheerfulness, 
gentleness,  and  calmness,  of  other  members  of  their  family. 
Their  music  is  constantly  varied,  and  in  it  one  may  occasion- 
ally hear  the  apparently  mimicked  notes  of  other  birds. 

§14.   Laniidae.     Shrikesl     (See  §13.) 
I.   COLLURIO 

(A)   BOREALIS.     (Great  Northern)  Shrike.     "Butcher-bird" 
(A  winter-visitant  to  Massachusetts,  but  never  very  common.) 
(a).   9-10  inches  long.     Above,  light  bluish-ash,  very  light 
12 


162  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

on  the  rump.  Below,  white,  very  finely  waved  with  black  (often 
almost  imperceptibly).  Edging  of  crown,  eye- ring  and  mid- 
dle of  the  forehead,  white.  Rest  of  forehead,  continuously 
with  broad  stripes  through  the  eye,  black.  Wings  and  tail 
black,  with  white  markings. 


Fig.  7.    Butcher-bird  (£). 

(5).  The  nest  is  placed  in  the  woods,  in  the  fork  of  a  bush, 
not  far  from  the  ground.  It  is  composed  of  leaves,  grasses, 
and  roots,  is  often  lined  with  feathers,  and  is  finished  early  in 
the  season.  One  set  of  eggs  contains  from  four  to  six,  aver- 
aging I-IOX'80  of  an  inch.  A  specimen  before  me  is  blotched 
and  spotted,  most  thickly  about  the  crown,  with  faint  lilac,  and 
light  sandy  and  yellowish  brown  ;  others  are  darker. 

(c).  The  shrikes  possess  the  cruelty  of  the  hawks,  but  not 
the  stateliness  of  some,  nor  the  gracefulness  of  others.  Neither 
do  they  possess  the  charms  of  many  passerine  birds,  for  they 
are  wild,  and,  moreover,  incapable  of  uttering  musical  sounds. 
Yet,  there  is  attached  to  them  that  interest,  which  is  naturally 
attached  to  birds  who  differ  so  distinctly  from  others,  and 
about  whom  much  is  yet  to  be  learned. 

The  Great  Northern  Shrikes,  or  the  well-known  "  Butcher- 
birds," are  virtually  the  sole  representatives  of  their  family  in 
New  England.  They  breed  in  the  forests  of  Northern  Maine, 
but  in  other  parts  occur  principally  as  winter-visitants,  re- 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  163 

maining  near  Boston  from  the  first  of  October  until  April  "  or 
even  May."  They  vary  greatly  in  abundance  from  year  to 
year,  following,  to  a  great  extent,  the  migrations  of  our  very 
irregular  visitors,  the  "Red-polls"  and  Pine  Finches. 

While  with  us,  they  are  usually  to  be  seen  singly  or  in  pairs 
about  farms,  orchards,  fields,  and  meadows,  though  so  ex- 
tremely bold  as  to  take  up  their  abode  in  the  Public  Garden 
and  Common  of  Boston,  where  they  prey  upon  the  English 
Sparrows  and  have  several  times  been  shot.  When  on  the 
watch  for  their  prey,  they  take  a  perch  not  far  from  the  ground, 
and  may  be  observed  to  flirt  their  tails  much  like  the  Pewees, 
now  and  then  taking  low  and  rapid  flights  from  bush  to  bush, 
or  tree  to  tree,  particularly  if  pursued.  On  detecting  what 
they  wish  to  seize,  they  pounce  upon  it,  if  upon  the  ground,  or 
pursue  it  through  the  air,  if  a  bird,  with  force,  great  rapidity, 
and  an  almost  infallible  certainty.of  aim.  As  their  bills  are 
particularly  powerful,  the  muscles  about  their  head  highly  de- 
veloped, and  their  feet  naturally  weak,  they  use  the  latter 
solely  for  perching.  They  use  their  bills,  on  the  other  hand, 
to  seize  the  birds  which  they  pursue,  generally  by  the  neck, 
thus  suffocating  them,  and  afterwards  to  tear  their  flesh. 

Their  food  consists  of  grasshoppers,  mice,  and  principally 
our  smaller  winter-birds  of  the  finch-tribe  who  associate  in 
flocks, —  the  Snow-birds,  Snow  Buntings,  Tree  Sparrows,  "Red- 
polls," and  Pine  Finches.  I  have  seen  one  dart  after  a  flock 
of  Goldfinches,  who  escaped  by  flying  upwards.  The  Shrike 
followed  with  effort  and  a  rather  laborious  flight,  until,  despair- 
ing of  success,  he  turned  and  dropped  with  the  speed  of  an 
arrow,  arresting  himself  instantaneously  on  approaching  the 
earth.  He  afterwards  dashed  into  a  company  of  Tree  Spar- 
rows, who  showed  much  less  address  in  escaping  his  clutches. 
They  separated  and  fled  to  the  bushes,  whilst  he  followed  one 
through  a  thicket  and  seized  him  on  the  other  side.  The 
Shrikes  have  several  times  been  known  in  their  boldness  to 
enter  cages,  and  to  kill  the  inmates,  though  sometimes  fortu- 
nately trapped  themselves  afterwards,  and  made  captive. 

The  "Butcher-birds"   are   best  known  by  their  notorious 


164  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

practice  of  impaling  their  food  upon  thorns  or  the  like,  thus 
securing,  according  to  an  European  superstition,  nine  victims 
every  day,  whence  they  are  in  some  places  called  u  nine-kill- 
ers." There  are  three  theories  often  advanced  to  explain  this 
extraordinary  and  characteristic  cruelty,  which  are  as  follows : 
That  the  shrikes  are  fond  of  tainted  meat ;  that  they  are  nat- 
urally provident  for  the  future ;  and  that  they  employ  their 
food,  to  a  certain  extent,  as  bait.  The  former  of  these  theo- 
ries may  be  refuted  by  the  evidence,  which  has,  I  believe,  been 
generally  given,  even  from  observations  upon  specimens  in 
confinement,  that  the  "Butcher-birds"  never  feed  upon  these 
stores.  The  last  theory  is  absurd,  as  Wilson  has  already  de- 
monstrated, since  they  can  at  any  time,  by  swiftness  and  dex- 
terity of  flight,  seize  a  small  bird  who  ventures  near  them, 
and  need  never  resort  to  guile  or  deceit,  and  since,  if  grass- 
hoppers be  the  creatures  impaled,  our  winter-birds,  upon  whom 
the  shrikes  prey,  are  all  granivorous  or  seed-eating,  never 
touching  insects  (except,  perhaps,  in  summer),  and  since  in 
many  cases  the  victims  impaled  are  birds,  who  certainly  would 
not  serve  satisfactorily  as  bait  to  attract  their  friends.  I  re- 
gret very  much  that  I  have  not  had  enough  opportunities  for 
studying  thoroughly  the  habits  of  the  "Butcher-birds"  to  de- 
cide this  question,  but,  in  want  of  evidence,  I  am  inclined 
to  suppose  that  they  keep  up  this  murderous  practice  solely 
from  instincts  of  cruelty,  and  perhaps  other  instincts,  allied  to 
the  thieving  and  hiding  propensities  of  the  magpies  and  their 
relations,  though,  indeed,  their  acts  are  murder  in  the  first 
degree  and  without  secrecy.  In  brief,  is  it  not  probable  that 
they  exercise  this  barbarity  and  ferocity  simply  in  sport,  and 
for  their  amusement?  I  cannot,  at  present,  present  to  the 
public  any  more  satisfactory  explanation. 

(c?).  Audubon  and  Nuttall  both  state  that  the  Great  North- 
ern Shrikes  imitate  the  notes  of  other  birds  to  attract  their 
attention  and  to  allure  them  into  danger,  but  I  have  known  no 
modern  ornithologists  to  confirm  these  statements,  which  at 
present  need  corroboration.  Whilst  here  in  winter,  the  Shrikes 
are  usually  silent,  and  I  have  but  once  heard  them  uttering 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  165 

any  sounds.  About  the  middle  of  March  I  observed  a  pair 
in  a  field  overrun  with  mice,  and  heard  their  extraordinary 
note,  brief  and  often  repeated,  which  resembled  the  buzz  of  a 
small  insect  (with  somewhat  of  a  squeal  intermixed?).  I  at 
first,  in  my  haste  and  ignorance,  attributed  this  sound  to  the 
field  mice,  but  afterwards  supposed  that  it  was  probably  a 
cry  confined  exclusively  to  the  mating-season  of  the  birds,  to 
whom  it  certainly  belonged. 

I  shall  close  this  biography  by  inserting  a  very  entertaining 
passage  from  an  old  English  book  on  Falconry,  which  I  find 
quoted  in  Mr.  Wood's  interesting  book,  "  Homes  without 
Hands." 

"Sometimes  upon  certain  birds  she  doth  use  to  prey,  whome 
she  doth  entrappe  and  deceive  by  flight,  for  this  is  her  desire. 
She  will  stand  at  pearch  upon  some  tree  or  poste,  and  there 
make  an  exceeding  lamentable  crye  and  exclamation,  such  as 
birds  are  wonte  to  do,  being  wronged  or  in  hazard  of  mischiefe, 
and  all  to  make  other  fowles  believe  and  thinke  that  she  is  very 
much  distressed  and  stands  in  need  of  ayde ;  whereupon  the 
credulous  sellie  birds  do  flocke  together  presently  at  her  call 
and  voice,  at  what  time  if  any  happen  to  approach  neare  her 
she  out  of  hand  ceazeth  on  them,  and  devoureth  them  (un- 
grateful subtill  fowle !)  in  requital  for  their  simplicity  and 
pains. 

"  Heere  I  end  of  this  hawke,  because  I  neither  accompte  her 
worthy  the  name  of  a  hawke,  in  whom  there  resteth  no  valor 
or  hardiness,  nor  yet  deserving  to  have  any  more  written  upon 
her  propertie  and  nature.  For  truly  it  is  not  the  property  of 
any  other  hawke,  by  such  devise  and  cowardly  will  to  come  by 
their  prey,  but  they  love  to  winne  it  by  main  force  of  wings  at 
random,  as  the  round  winged  hawkes  doe,  or  by  free  stooping, 
as  the  hawkes  of  the  Tower  doe  most  commonly  use,  as  the 
falcon,  gerfalcon,  sacre,  mertyn,  and  such  like." 

(B)   LUDOVICIANUS.     Loggerhead  Shrike. 
(But  rarely  obtained  so  far  to  the  northward  as  Massachu- 
setts.) 


166  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

(a).  8-9  inches  long.  Like  the  Butcher-bird  (A),  but  more 
slaty  above,  and  generally  with  no  white  on  the  head  (except 
on  the  throat),  the  eye-stripes  meeting  on  the  forehead. 

(b).  The  nest  is  said  to  be  much  less  elaborate  than  that  of 
the  "  Butcher-bird,"  though  the  eggs  are  very  similar  to  those 
of  that  bird.  Dr.  Brewer  says  :  "The  spots  are  usually  larger 
and  more  scattered  than  in  the  eggs  of  C.  borealis." 

(c).  The  Loggerhead  Shrike  is  chiefly  an  inhabitant  of  the 
Southern  States,  and  I  have  heard  of  but  few  instances  of  its 
capture  in  New  England  or  the  State  of  Massachusetts.  It  is, 
however,  says  Mr.  Allen,  in  his  "  Notes  on  the  Rarer  Birds  of 
Massachusetts,"  a  summer-resident  at  Hamilton,  in  Canada 
West,  on  the  Northern  Shore  of  Lake  Ontario  (Mcllwraith), 
and  has  been  known  to  breed  at  Buffalo,  New  York.  Wilson 
says  that  "this  species  inhabits  the  rice  plantations  of  Carolina 
and  Georgia,  where  it  is  protected  for  its  usefulness  in  destroy- 
ing mice.  It  sits,  for  hours  together,  on  the  fence,  beside  the 
stacks  of  rice,  watching  like  a  cat ;  and  as  soon  as  it  perceives 
a  mouse,  darts  on  it  like  a  Hawk.  It  also  feeds  on  crickets 
and  grasshoppers." 

(d).  He  adds  that  "its  note,  in  March,  resembled  the  clear 
creaking  of  a  sign  board  in  windy  weather." 

§  15.  The  FringillidaD,  or  finches,  form  our  largest  fam- 
ily (the  warblers  being  second  in  size),  and  include  the  spar- 
rows, buntings,  linnets,  grosbeaks,  and  crossbills.  They  are 
chiefly  granivorous  (or  at  least  vegetarians) ,  and  consequently 
are  less  migratory  than  insectivorous  birds.  They  are  very 
sociable  among  themselves,  and  in  some  cases  gregarious. 
They  are  clad  both  plainly  and  brilliantly,  sometimes  with 
crests,  but  are  in  nearly  all  cases  musical,  sometimes  very 
highly  so.  Some  of  them  are  eminently  field-birds,  and  on  this 
account  are  easily  observed  in  the  country.  As  architects  they 
are  not  to  be  ranked  high,  though  their  nests  are  often  very 
neatry  built.  Their  eggs  exhibit  great  variety  in  colors  and 
markings,  and  two  (or  even  three)  sets  of  four  or  five  are  laid 
by  several  species  in  one  season,  even  so  far  to  the  northward 
as  Massachusetts. 


OF  NEW  ENGLAND.  167 

They  (or  at  least  our  species)  are  characterized  as  follows. 
Bill,  for  the  most  part,  not  twice  as  long  as  high,  but  stout, 
more  or  less  conical,  with  the  mandibles  generally  meeting  at 
their  tips ;  commissure  usually  with  a  more  or  less  evident 
angle  ;  bristles  often  wanting  ;  tarsi  scutellate  ;  primaries  nine. 
They  may  be  divided  into  three  groups :  (Gen.  I- VI  and 
VII  ?)  Wings  long  ;  feet  not  strong  ;  sexes  generally  unlike  ; 
males  brightly  colored.  Birds  of  rather  boreal  distribution, 
of  comparatively  strong  flight,  and  largely  arboreal  (except 
in  genus  VII).  (Gen.  VII?-XVIII.)  Birds  chiefly  terrestrial ; 
also  plainly  colored,  and  sexes  generally  alike ;  commissure 
frequently  with  the  angle  feebly  marked.  (Gen.  XVIII?- 
XXIII.)  Birds  chiefly  arboreal,  and  handsomely  or  bril- 
liantly colored ;  sexes  unlike.  Distribution  rather  southern. 
Bill  stout,  somewhat  curved  above  ;  angle  well  marked.  (Gen. 
XXIV,  XXV,  are  placed  at  the  end,  because  not  properly 
parts  of  our  fauna.)  (Figs.  8,  9,  10.)  Possibly  the  starlings 
should  be  united  with  the  finches,  and  ranked  as  a  subfamily. 
(See  §  17.) 

The  following  genera  require  special  notice  : — 

Curvirostra.   Bill,  with  the  mandibles  crossed  (pi.  1,  fig.  16). 

Pinicola.  Bill  stout,  hooked,  and  with  curved  outlines. 

Chrysomitris  and  jEgiothus.  Bill  conical,  and  pointed.  Up- 
per mandible  often  growing  beyond  the  lower,  as  sometimes 
seen  in  other  finches  and  blackbirds  (pi.  1,  fig.  12). 

Plectroplianes.  Hind-claw  very  long  (pi.  1,  fig.  17).  In  sub- 
genus  Centrophanes  (including  Lapponicus  but  not  nivalis) 
hind-claw  straightish  ;  bill  unruffed. 

Ammodromus.  Bill  comparatively  slender.  Tail-feathers 
narrow  and  pointed.  (PI.  1,  figs.  14,  15.) 

Cotwniculus  closely  related. 

Passerella.  Birds  partially  rasorial,  as  also  in  certain  allied 
species. 

Hydemeles.  Bill  deep,  stout,  and  bristled ;  upper  outline 
much  curved,  commissure  strongly  angulated  (pi.  1,  fig.  13). 
The  details  of  structure  vary  with  every  group  or  genus,  but 
the  finches  in  general  are  easily  recognized  by  their  coloring. 


168  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

I  have  arranged  the  genera  (represented  in  New  England)  in 
what  seemed  the  best  sequence. 

The  position  of  the  larks  (Alaudidce,  §  16)  is  apparently 
doubtful.  Though  the  typical  Sky  Lark  of  Europe  (Alauda 
arvensis)  has  been  introduced  into  this  country,  yet  the  true 
American  larks  belong  to  the  subfamily, 

Calandritmoe  (fig.  11).  They  are  characterized  as  follows: 
Bill  (in  Eremopliila)  twice  as  long  as  high,  pointed,  and  with 
the  upper  outline  convex  ;  nostrils  concealed  ;  primaries  nine  ; 
tarsi  "  scutellate  and  blunt  behind  as  in  front,  with  a  deep 
groove  along  the  inner  side,  and  a  slight  one,  or  none,  on  the 
outer  face ;  "  42  hind-claw  very  Iqng.  The  common  Shore  Lark 
is  the  type. 

I.   CURVIROSTRA 

(A)   RUBRA.    Red  Crossbill.     Common  Crossbill. 

(To  be  found  in  Massachusetts  as  an  extremely  irregular 
visitor  from  the  North.) 

(a).  Mandibles  crossed  (as  in  B).  About  six  inches  long. 
$ ,  chiefly  of  an  almost  brick-red,  with  wings  and  tail  dusky 
or  nearly  black.  9  ,  often  with  a  strong  yellowish  suffusion. 
Wings  and  tail,  dark.  Above,  of  a  shade  varying  from  brown- 
ish to  olive,  with  dusky  streaks.  Rump,  almost  yellow.  Be- 
neath, paler,  more  or  less  streaked. 

(6).  The  nest  is  built  in  the  early  part  of  spring,  or  even,  it 
is  said,  in  winter.  Mr.  Paine  found  one  in  a  leafless  elm,  in 
East  Randolph,  Vermont,  early  in  the  month  of  March.  The 
parents  were  so  tame  that  it  was  necessary  to  remove  them  for- 
cibly from  their  eggs,  which  "  were  four  in  number,  and  meas- 
ured -85  X  '53  of  an  inch.  They  have  a  greenish-white  ground 
and  are  beautifully  blotched,  marbled,  and  dotted  with  various 
shades  of  lilac  and  purplish-brown." 

(c).  The  Crossbill,  on  account  of  his  many  peculiarities,  is 
an  interesting  subject  for  studj^.  His  most  marked  oddity  is 


42  In  the  Oscines,  "the  tarsus  is  normally  covered  on  either  side  with  two  entire 
horny  plates,  that  meet  behind  in  a  sharp  ridge."    (Coues.) 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND. 


I 

169 


that  which  Wilson  has  spoken  of  in  admirable  language.  That 
author  says  : — "On  first  glancing  at  the  bill  of  this  extraordi- 
nary bird  one  is  apt  to  pronounce  it  deformed  and  monstrous  ; 
but  on  attentively  observing  the  use  to  which  it  is  applied  by 
the  owner,  and  the  dexterity  with  which  he  detaches  the  seeds 
of  the  pine  tree  from  the  cone,  and  from  the  husks  that  enclose 
them,  we  are  obliged  to  confess  on  this  as  on  many  other  occa- 
sions where  we  have  judged  too  hastily  of  the  operations  of 
nature,  that  no  other  conformation  could  have  been  so  excel- 
lently adapted  to  the  purpose  ;"  etc.  (WILSON,  VOL.  iv,  p.  44). 

The  exact  distribution,  the  regular  breeding-habits,  and  the 
migrations  of  the  Crossbills  are  not,  at  present,  perfectly 
understood.  These  birds  migrate  (it  is  supposed  and  well- 
nigh  proved),  in  accordance  with  the  abundance  of  food  in 
their  usual  habitat  (northward  of  the  44th  parallel  of  latitude). 
Hence  they  are  sometimes  not  seen  at  all  in  Massachusetts 
during  the  year,  and  at  other  times  appear  as  early  as  August, 
and  remain  until  June  (whence  it  has  been  assumed  that  they 
breed  here). 

Though  often  here  in  autumn  and  spring,  they  are  commonly 
driven  to  our  latitudes  in  the  winter-months ;  then,  usually  in 
flocks  varying  in  number  from  three  or  four  to  hundreds,  they 
are  to  be  seen  busily  engaged  in  extracting  seeds  from  the 
cones  of  our  evergreens.  They  are  good  climbers,  moving 
much  like  parrots,  but  with  more  agility.'  They  occasionally 
eat  berries ;  and  they  also  descend  to  the  ground,  having  a 
fondness,  it  is  said,  for  saline  substances.  It  is  somewhere 
stated  that  in  Arctic  countries  they  often  become  so  engrossed 
in  their  feeding,  when  on  the  ground,  that  they  can  easily  be 
caught  with  a  net,  or  knocked  over  with  a  club.  Whilst  near 
Boston  in  winter,  they  exhibit  neither  shyness  nor  stupidity, 
but,  when  started  from  a  tree,  often  return  to  it,  after  ma- 
noeuvring in  the  air  in  the  manner  of  the  "  Red-polls."  They 
generally  fly  at  a  considerable  height,  and  sometimes  at  a  very 
great  elevation,  at  least  great  relatively  to  the  powers  of  flight 
which  belong  to  this  family  of  birds.  In  spring,  the  Crossbills 
do  mischief  in  attacking  the  buds  of  various  trees ;  and  Mr. 


170  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

Maynard  speaks  of  their  eating  the  tops  of  oats  in  autumn,  at 
Albany,  Maine.43  They  are  said  to  build  their  nests  often  in 
February  or  March,  and  therefore  their  presence  in  summer 
may  not  properly  indicate  the  districts  in  which  they  breed, 
though  such  immature  specimens  were  obtained  by  Mr.  Horace 
Mann,  at  Weston,  Massachusetts,  in  May,  1862,  that  Mr. 
Allen  thinks  it  "hardly  possible"  that  they  were  born  far 
from  that  place.44  The  nest  of  the  Crossbills  has  been  found 
at  Milltown,  Maine,  by  Mr.  Boardman,42  and  these  birds  may, 
therefore,  breed  quite  extensively  in  that  State  and  North-east- 
ern New  Hampshire,  having  been  "common  at  Umbagog, 
according  to  Mr.  Deane,  during  the  summer  of  1870,"  and 
according  to  Mr.  Brewster,  being  "  very  common  at  Franconia 
in  summer."45  Their  habitat  in  the  breeding-season,  may  be 
generally  considered  as  the  vast  hemlock  and  spruce-forests  of 
the  North. 

(d).  As  Wilson  says,  they  "have  a  loud,  sharp,  and  not 
unmusical  note"  and  "  chatter  as  they  fly."  They  sometimes 
utter  in  spring  quite  a  sweet  song,  which  has  the  character  of 
their  ordinary  cries,  as  is  noticeable  in  the  music  of  the  birds 
nearly  related  to  them,  the  Pine  Grosbeaks,  "Red-polls,"  Gold- 
finches, etc. 

(B)   LEUCOPTERA.     White-winged  Crossbill. 

(Much  less  common  in  Massachusetts  than  even  the  preced- 
ing species.) 

(a).  Mandibles  crossed  (as  in  A).  About  six  inches  long. 
Essentially  like  RUBRA,  but  with  white  wing-bars,  and  a  much 
rosier  hue  in  the  male. 

(&).  An  egg  described  by  Dr.  Brewer  "is  pale  blue,  the 
large  end  rather  thickly  spattered  with  fine  dots  of  black  and 


*s  «  The  Naturalist's  Guide,"  p.  111. 

44 "Notes  on  Some  of  the  Rarer  Birds  of  Massachusetts,"  in  pamphlet  [pp.  30, 
31,  82],  and  in  "American  Naturalist"  Vol.  Ill,  pp.  505-519;  568-585;  631-648;  and 
numbers  for  Nov.,  Dec.,  and  Jan.,  1869-70. 

43  C.  J.  Maynard,  "A  Catalogue  of  the  birds  of  Coos  Co.,  N.  H.,  and  Oxford  Co., 
Me.,"  etc.,  54th  species,  p.  16,  pamphlet. 


OF   NEW  ENGLAND. 


171 


ashy-lilac ;  is  regularly  or  rather  slightly  elongate-oval,  the 
small  end  rather  obtuse.  It  measures  -80  of  an  inch  in  length 
by  -56  in  breadth." 

(c) .  The  White-winged  Crossbills  are  much  rarer  here  than 
the  Red  Crossbills,  since  they  habitually  reside  in  more  northern 
countries,  though,  indeed,  on  the  authority  of  Mr.  Deane  and 
Mr.  Brewster  said  to  be  "  common  at  Umbagog  in  June,  1870, 
and  at  Franconia  in  summer."46  They  are  seldom  seen  in 
Massachusetts,  though  occasionally  common  in  winter,  and 
known  to  migrate  much  further  to  the  southward.  So  far  as  I 
have  had  opportunities  to  observe,  they  resemble  closely  in 
their  habits  the  other  species,  feeding  chiefly  upon  the  seeds  of 
our  evergreens,  both  obtaining  these  and  climbing  dexterously, 
and  sometimes  seeking  food  upon  the  ground,  having  a  par- 
tiality for  saline  matter.  Mr.  Maynard  says  that  they  feed 
"upon  the  seeds  of  beach-grass,"  uat  Ipswich, Massachusetts," 
and  that  he  "obtained  a  specimen  on  June  13,  1866,  which 
was  shot  on  an  apple-tree  in  Newtonville,"  and  was  "filled 
with  canker-worms."47  This,  says  Mr.  Allen,  was  "  a  male  in 
fine  breeding  plumage,"  and  therefore  it  is  possible  that  these 
birds  may  occasionally  br.eed  in  this  State,  though  at  the  same 
time  it  is  possible  that  the  specimen  in  question  may  have 
wandered  from  the  North,  having  previously  reared  his  young 
in  April  or  May.  Instances  of  equally  strange  freaks  among 
birds  have  been  known  to  occur,  such  as  wandering  more  than 
a  thousand  miles  from  a  regular  habitat.  It  is  to  be  remarked 
that  these  instances  take  place  almost  wholly  at  the  time  of 
the  migrations  in  autumn  or  early  winter.48 

(d).  The  song  of  the  White-winged  Crossbills,  says  Dr. 
Brewer,  is  "  irregular  and  varied,  but  sweet  and  musical." 
These  birds  have  a  plaintive  cry,  distinct  from  the  notes  of 
the  Red  Crossbill. 


48  C.  J.  Maynard,  55th  species  (p.  16,  pamphlet),  "  Birds  of  Coos  Co.,N.H.,"etc. 

47  "  The  Naturalist's  Guide,"  pp.  111-2. 

48  For  example,  the  occurrence  in  Massachusetts  of  the  Varied  Thrush,  Lark 
Finch,  and  Gray  King-bird. 


172  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 


II.    PINICOLA 

(A)   ENUCLEATOR.     Pine  Grosbeak. 

(In  Massachusetts  a  winter-visitant  of  very  irregular  appear- 
ance.) 

(a).  8-9  inches  long.  #,  carmine.  Back  dusky-streaked. 
Belly,  almost  white.  Wings  and  tail,  dusky  (or  black)  ;  former 
with  much  white.  9  »  "  ashy-gray  above  and  streaked.  Paler 
below,  and  not  streaked."  Crown  (and  rump)  marked  with 
rusty-yellow. 

(b).  Dr.  Brewer  says:  "No  positively  identified  eggs  of 
the  American  Pine  Grosbeak  are  as  yet  known  in  collections." 
A  European  specimen  measures  about  I'OO  X  '75  of  an  inch, 
and  is  greenish,  blotched  and  spotted  with  brown  and  purplish, 
chiefly  dark  tints.  Mr.  Boardman  found  near  Calais,  Maine, 
"in  an  alder-bush,  in  a  wet  meadow,"  a  nest  and  two  eggs, 
referable  to  this  species. 

(c).  The  Pine  Grosbeaks  spend  the  summer-season  in  the 
cold  regions  which  lie  to  the  northward  of  New  England,  and 
though,  I  believe,  common  winter-residents  in  Maine  and  New 
Hampshire,  are  rather  rare,  or  at  least  irregular,  in  their  ap- 
pearance about  Boston,  and  other  parts  of  this  State.  They 
are  sometimes  common  here  throughout  the  winter,  wandering 
in  large  flocks  from  place  to  place,  but  at  other  times  are 
wholly  absent  during  the  year,  or  at  the  most  are  seen  but 
once  or  twice  after  a  cold  "  snap  "  or  a  heavy  storm.  I  have 
seen  them  from  the  first  of  November  until  the  latter  part  of 
March,  though  their  departure  usually  occurs  earlier  in  the 
season,  since  they  habitually  breed  in  March  and  April.  It  is 
to  be  remarked  that  among  our  winter-birds  of  this  family,  the 
young  almost  invariably  predominate,  and  often  are  unaccom- 
panied by  mature  specimens.  This  interesting  fact  has  not,  so 
far  as  I  know,  been  satisfactorily  explained,  though  it  may 
possibly  be  due  simply  to  an  inability  of  the  young  to  with- 
stand the  cold  so  well  as  their  parents.  Yet  these  birds  are 
supposed  to  be  regulated  in  their  migrations  almost  entirely 
by  supplies  of  food,  and  not  to  be  affected  by  cold,  since  in 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  173 

severe  winters  they  are  often  much  less  abundant  here  than  in 
mild  seasons.  To  determine  questions  of  this  sort,  much 
philosophical  stud}r,  technical  knowledge,  comparison  of  notes, 
and  cooperation  of  different  sciences,  is  greatly  needed. 

The  Pine  Grosbeaks  frequent  the  pines  and  other  evergreens 
almost  exclusively,  feeding  largely  upon  their  seeds,  but  also 
upon  buds  and  berries.  Mr.  Maynard  speaks  of  their  being 
so  unsuspicious  that  they  can  be  easily  captured  by  a  noose 
attached  to  a  pole,  but  I  myself  have  never  observed  any  like 
indiscretion  on  their  part.  In  general  appearance  they  bear  a 
strong  resemblance  to  the  Robin,  but  possess  powers  of  flight 
even  superior  to  those  of  that  bird.  Large  flocks  often  travel 
many  miles,  from  time  to  time,  in  the  course  of  a  day,  moving 
at  some  height,  and  the  individuals  rising  and  falling  in  their 
flight.  The  Pine  Grosbeaks  are  also  very  much  at  ease  among 
the  trees,  though  not  such  clever  climbers  as  the  crossbills. 
They  seem,  whilst  here,  to  remember  those  long  winter-nights 
of  the  North,  which  u  become  less  and  less  separated  by  day- 
light, the  farther  to  the  northward  that  they  occur,  until  at  the 
pole  they  become  fused  into  a  period  of  darkness  which  lasts 
for  six  months."  I  have  observed  that  they  generally  retire 
before  sunset,  whilst  other  birds  are  still  occupied  in  feed- 
ing, and  collect  among  the  branches  of  some  thickly  foliaged 
evergreen.  The  "  Red-polls,"  on  the  other  hand,  are  given  to 
late  hours,  so  that  their  respective  habits  are  probably  to  be 
accounted  for  solely  by  a  difference  of  taste,  since  both  species 
inhabit  much  the  same  regions.  Certainly  nature  has  created 
much  for  the  sake  of  pleasing  man  by  variety  alone. 

(d).  The  Pine  Grosbeaks  have  a  characteristic  single  note, 
a  loud,  clear,  but  somewhat  plaintive  whistle,  which  is  often 
repeated  several  times,  and  also  a  few  subdued  whistles,  not 
audible  at  any  great  distance.  I  here  quote  briefly  from  my 
journal.  "March  13,  1875.  This  morning  I  arose  at  5.15, 
and  went  out  at  5.40,  when  crows  were  beginning  to  fly  over. 
At  5.55  a  Red-poll,  who  was  among  some  pines,  awoke  and 
gave  his  call,  which  was  answered  by  two  or  three  of  his  com- 
panions, who  were  near  him,  likewise  in  pines.  *  *  *  * 


174  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

He  finally  woke  up  a  solitary  Pine  Grosbeak,  who  uttered  his 
call-note  several  times,  and  remained  in  the  neighborhood  until 
6.15,  when  he  perched  on  the  top  of  a  pine,  and  sang  for  sev- 
eral minutes.  His  song  was  sweet  and  very  much  like  that  of 
the  Purple  Finch,  but  was  now  and  then  interrupted  by  his 
ordinary  cries." 

III.   CARPODACUS 

(A)  PDRPUREUS.     Purple  Finch.     "  Linnet." 
(In  New  England,  a  common  resident  in  summer,  but  only 
occasional  in  winter.) 

(a).  About  six  inches  long. 
Crown-feathers  erectile.  $ , 
carmine,  of  very  different  shades 
and  intensities  in  different  speci- 
mens. Back  dusky-streaked ; 
belly,  almost  white.  Edgings 
of  the  wings,  reddish.  9  i  oli- 
vaceous-brown, and  streaked, 
except  on  the  belly,  which  as 
Fig.  8.  Purple  Finch  (i).  wej|  as  a  SUperciliary  line  is 

white.  Wings  and  tail  like 
those  of  the  male,  but  with  no  reddish. 

(6).  The  nest  is  usually  composed  of  fine  rootlets,  weed- 
stalks,  and  grasses,  being  lined  with  hairs,  but  its  materials 
vary  greatly  in  some  cases.  It  is  placed  in  a  pine,  cedar,  or- 
chard-tree, or  occasionally  a  bush  or  hedge,  from  five  to  twenty 
feet  above  the  ground.  The  eggs  of  each  set  are  four  or  five, 
and  average  *75X'55  of  an  inch  or  more.  They  are  of  a 
light  greenish  blue,  marked  rather  thinly  and  chiefly  at  the 
larger  end,  with  specks,  blotches,  and  scrawls,  of  very  faint 
lilac,  and  of  blackish.  The  first  set  is  laid  about  the  first  of 
June  or  earlier,  and  a  second  one  often  appears  in  July. 

(c).  The  Purple  Finches  are  well  known  on  account  of  their 
charming  song,  and  the  gay  or  brilliant  coloring  in  summer  of 
the  males,  who  attract,  especially  if  in  flocks,  the  attention  of 
many  a  person  who  is  habitually  inobservant.  A  few  pass  the 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  175 

less  severe  winters  in  Eastern  Massachusetts,  but  in  doing  so 
usually  frequent  swamps  of  cedar-trees,  or  retired  places  where 
seeds  and  berries  are  sufficiently  abundant.  The  "Linnets" 
generally  arrive  here  from  the  South  on  the  first  of  April  or 
earlier,  but  sometimes  not  until  May,  and  then  appear  in  the 
open  country,  when  the  males  and  females  often  congregate 
in  small  flocks,  usually  feeding  upon  the  buds  of  various  trees. 
The  males  are  not  at  this  time  of  the  year  in  full  dress,  and 
perhaps  on  this  account,  if  these  birds  may  be  supposed  to 
have  human  vanities,  are  often  alone  or  apart  from  the  females. 
They  are,  however,  in  full  song,  and,  perched  on  some  high 
branch,  sing  loudly,  as  if  under  the  delusion  that  winter  dis- 
appears in  April. 

When  much  startled,  the  "  Linnets "  usually  fly  for  some 
distance  at  a  considerable  height.  In  May  they  usually  be- 
come very  abundant,  and  also  mischievous,  since  they  "  feed 
on  the  stamina  of  various  fruit-blossoms."  They  also  gather 
in  large  flocks  on  the  ground,  where,  not  unfrequently  in  com- 
pany with  the  Goldfinches  or  other  members  of  their  family, 
they  pick  up  various  seeds  and  perhaps  other  food.  They  are 
summer-residents  throughout  New  England,  though  less  com- 
mon to  the  northward,  and  frequent  principally  cultivated  or 
open  lands,  though  occasionally  to  be  met  with  in  woods. 
Their  song  may  not  unfrequently  be  heard  in  September,  when 
most  other  birds  do  not  sing.  In  October  they  become  quite 
rare,  and  finally,  usually  before  November,  forsake  their  sum- 
mer-haunts. Those  seen  here  in  the  former  month  are  very 
possibly  migrants  from  the  North. 

(d).  The  music  of  the  Purple  Finch  is  a  warbled  song,  which 
would  be  monotonous,  were  it  not  sweet,  mellow,  and  full- 
toned.  Both  sexes  sing.  In  autumn  they  often  give  utter- 
ance to  a  few  notes,  which  recall  those  of  the  Blue  Bird.  Be- 
sides their  customary  "  chink,"  which  they  utter  particularly 
when  on  wing,  they  have  a  variety  of  less  important  notes. 
The  most  pleasing  of  these  is  their  "  pewee,"  which  is  often 
softly  repeated  by  the  females,  and  the  most  striking  a  single 
•whistle,  to  be  heard  chiefly  or  wholly  in  autumn,  and  which 
recalls  that  of  the  Great-crested  Flycatcher. 


176  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

The  "Linnets"  are  much  more  common  and  generally  dis- 
tributed through  this  State  than  formerly,  and  are  gradually 
becoming  quite  fearless  of  man.  They  are  now  so  tame  as 
often  to  build  their  nests  in  hedges,  and  on  account  of  their 
several  attractions  should  be  allowed  to  increase,  in  spite  of 
the  injuries  that  they  may  do  us  in  spring.  They  resemble  in 
habits  the  Pine  Grosbeaks,  from  the  irregularity  of  both  their 
appearance  and  abundance  from  year  to  year.  In  studying 
the  Purple  Finches,  one  must  not  confuse  their  song  with  that 
of  the  Warbling  Vireo,49  or  even  with  those  of  the  Robin  and 
some  other  birds,  nor  the  notes  already  mentioned  with  those 
of  the  Great  Crested  Flycatcher  50  and  Blue  Bird.51 

IV.     CHRYSOMITRIS 

(A)  TRISTIS.  (American)  Goldfinch.  "Yellow  Bird:'5'2 
"Thistle-bird." 

(Common  in  New  England  throughout  the  year,  but  more 
abundant  in  summer  than  in  winter.  Like  the  Cedar-birds,  they 
breed  very  late  in  the  season.) 

(a).  About  4|  inches  long.  #  (from  April  1st,  until  Sep- 
tember 20th?),  bright  yellow,  "inclusive  of  lesser  wing-cov- 
erts." Crown,  wings,  and  tail,  black.  Upper  tail-coverts,  whit- 
ish ;  but  wing-markings  •  and  tail-spots  entirely  white.  $ , 
dusk}'  olivaceous  yellow  above ;  paler  or  yellowish  beneath. 
Wings  and  tail  less  purely  colored  than  in  the  male,  who  in 
winter  resembles  the  female,  though  much  browner. 

(b).  The  nest  is  usually  composed  of  fine  grasses  (or  strips 
of  bark),  and  is  lined  with  down  from  thistles  and  other  plants, 
but  sometimes  with  hairs.  It  is  quite  deep  or  cup-shaped,  but 
is  substantial,  neat,  and  compact.  It  is  placed  in  a  pasture- 
bush,  a  shade-tree  (especially  on  roadsides),  perhaps  an  apple- 
tree,  or  a  like  situation,  commonly  between  five  and  twenty 
feet  above  the  ground,  and  almost  invariably  in  a  crotch.  I 
have  known  it  to  be  just  completed  as  early  as  the  twelfth  of 


« §13,  I,  D.  60§19,  II,  A.  61§2. 

w  There  is  a  warbler  (§  9,  X,  A)  also  called  the  Yellow  Bird. 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  177 

June,  and  as  late  as  the  first  week  in  August.  The  eggs  of 
each  set  are  five  or  six,  average  about  -63X*50  of  an  inch,  and 
are  faint  bluish-white  (rarely  with  a  few  faint  markings?). 

(c).  The  Goldfinches,  perhaps  the  most- graceful  members 
of  their  large  family,  are  very  common  and  well-known,  and 
one  could  hardly  select  from  all  the  finches,  or  from  all  birds, 
more  charming  objects  of  study.  They  are  summer-residents 
throughout  a  greater  part  of  the  eastern  United  States,  are 
common  in  Massachusetts,  and  are  very  abundant  in  (certain 
parts  of)  Northern  New  Hampshire,  and  probably  the  whole 
of  northern  New  England.  They  are  very  hardy,  and  remain 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Boston  throughout  the  year. 

Ornithologists  very  generally  have  advanced  the  theory  that 
those  birds  who  pass  the  summer  in  a  locality,  where  the  spe- 
cies which  they  represent  are  resident  throughout  the  year, 
retire  in  winter  to  the  South,  leaving  their  place  to  be  supplied 
by  others  of  the  same  kind  from  the  North.  Mr.  Maynard, 
however,  ingeniously  argues  that  this  is  not  the  case,  at  least 
with  the  Hairy  Woodpecker.53  However  the  case  may  be,  it  is 
certain  that  many  Goldfinches  pass  the  winter  near  Boston. 

In  those  months  during  which  snow  generally  covers  the 
earth,  they  wander,  usually  in  small  flocks,  feeding,  as  at  other 
times  of  the  year,  upon  the  seeds  of  pines  or  weeds,  and  such 
suitable  things  as  they  can  find  upon  the  ground.  The  males 
are  then  in  their  winter-dress,  and  do  not  assume  their  gay 
summer-livery  until  April.  In  March  the  "  Yellow  Birds"  be- 
come rather  common,  and  in  April  abundant.  About  the  first  of 
May,  or  even  later,  they  often  associate  in  large  companies 
with  the  Purple  Finches  and  other  members  of  their  family, 
and  frequent  orchards  and  various  places  where  they  can  pro- 
cure food  from  the  ground.  The  song  of  the  male  (for  the 
female  does  not  sing)  may  often  be  heard  at  this  time,  pre- 
vious to  and  during  which  they  ramble  over  open  country  and 
cultivated  lands,  rendered  noticeable  by  the  jet  black  and 
bright  yellow  of  the  gayer  sex.  These  flocks  are  gradually 


»  "  The  Naturalist's  Guide,"  p.  129. 
13 


178  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

broken  up,  but  at  all  seasons  of  the  year  the  so-called  "Yellow- 
Birds"  show  a  social  spirit j  whence,  even  in  summer,  two  or 
three  often  enjoy  one  another's  society  and  fly  about  together. 
The  following  observations  on  their  habits  in  summer  were 
made  among  the  White  Mountains,  where,  in  certain  districts, 
they  were  very  numerous.  The  Goldfinches  there  inhabited 
the  pasture-land,  in  which  they  often  built  their  nests,  over 
which  they  wandered,  and  from  which  chiefly  they  obtained  their 
food.  There  were  in  the  place  but  few  trees  on  the  roadsides, 
except  such  as  formed  the  part  of  some  wood  (and  in  woods 
these  birds  never  build  their  nests),  but  the  large  bushes, 
which  in  many  places  supplied  this  want,  answered  the  Gold- 
finches' purpose  as  well.  On  these  bushes,  or  the  telegraph- 
wires  and  posts,  males  and  females,  or  when  the  latter  were 
on  their  nests,  a  solitary  male  or  several  often  perched.  They 
occasionally  alighted  in  the  road  to  pick  up  food,  but  not  very 
commonly.  The  daintiness  and  evident  enjoyment  of  their  bath 
was  very  charming.  They  usuall}71  waded  into  a  gently  flowing 
brook,  which  rolled  over  clean  sand,  and  then  showered  them- 
selves with  the  water  tossed  up  by  the  splashing  of  their  wings, 
bobbed  their  heads  into  the  clear  stream,  next  dressed  their 
feathers,  and  finally  flew  away,  twittering  expressions  of  their 
pleasure.  In  the  early  part  of  the  summer  they  often  appeared 
in  the  gardens  and  fruit-trees  of  the  village,  but  in  September 
congregated  where  thistles  were  abundant.  On  the  heads  of 
these  weeds  they  perched,  until  the  stalks  swayed  to  the 
ground  ;  and,  when  this  brief  ride  was  finished,  they  bent  over  to 
feed  upon  the  seeds.  In  the  same  way  do  they  often  treat  the 
garden-iris  in  summer,  when  the  rich  blue  or  purple  of  that 
flower  forms  a  most  gorgeous  contrast  with  their  plumage. 
Whilst  assembled,  the  goldfinches  are  always  extremely  har- 
monious, and  seem  to  express  their  happiness  by  their  delight- 
ful cries.  Their  flight,  as  every  one  who  knows  them  must 
have  observed,  consists  of  a  series  of  marked  undulations,  and 
occasionally  of  great  circles  in  the  air.  If  pursued  by  any 
bird  of  prey,  they  mount  in  circles  often  to  a  great  height, 
knowing  well  that  they  are  safe  only  when  above  their  ene- 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  179 

mies  ;  and,  though  their  powers  of  flight  are  not  great,  I  have 
never  seen  a  hawk  or  shrike  who  was  sufficiently  persistent  to 
exhaust  them,  and  thus  to  secure  his  prey. 

To  return  to  those  "Yellow  Birds"  who  have  passed  the 
summer  in  Massachusetts,  they  (or  latterly  substitutes  from 
the  North)  are  tolerably  abundant  in  September,  but  less  so  in 
October.  Sometimes  at  this  season  they  associate  with  the 
sparrows,  and  feed  in  asparagus-beds,  old  vegetable-gardens, 
and  like  places.  Before  October  has  passed  away,  they  become 
quite  uncommon,  and  assume  many  of  their  winter-habits. 
Their  haunts  are  much  the  same  throughout  the  year,  and 
include  the  whole  country,  with  the  exception  of  the  woods, 
meadows,  and  swamps. 

(d).  The  male  Goldfinch  has  a  lively  and  sweet,  but  not 
full-toned  song,  characterized  by  his  ordinary  notes,  and  re- 
sembling that  of  the  "Canary,"  his  near  relation.  In  listening 
to  it,  one  may  hear  harsh  notes,  and  then  a  sweet  che-ive  or  che- 
we-we.  I  have  heard  it  in  April,  October,  and  the  intervening 
time,  most  often  in  the  first-named  month  and  in  May.  He 
has  also  a  very  sweet  and  almost  pathetic  cry,  which  to  me  has 
a  singular  fascination,  but  it  is  not  easily  to  be  distinguished 
from  the  corresponding  notes  of  the  "  Red-poll,"  Siskin,  or  Ca- 
nary-bird. Both  sexes  own  a  low  whistle,  heard  chiefly  in 
summer,  and  rarely  then,  and  their  characteristic  twitters, 
which  these  birds  commonly  utter  at  every  undulation  of  their 
flight,  and  often  when  perched.  Such  other  sounds  as  they 
occasionally  produce  are  less  noticeable,  and  are  among  those 
details  regarded  only  by  one  intimate  with  birds  and  with 
their  individual  traits. 

In  writing  this  volume,  I  have  been  struck  with  the  thought 
that  the  biographer  of  birds  has,  at  least  in  one  respect,  a 
pleasanter  task  than  the  biographer  of  a  human  friend,  for  he 
has  never  to  speak  of  death  ;  for,  since  we  regard  all  of  a  spe- 
cies as  virtually  one  being,  and  rarely  regard  distinctions  be- 
tween individuals,  we  are  necessarily  led  to  consider  them  as  a 
perpetual  being,  though,  indeed,  instances  are  known  to  modern 
history  of  the  apparent  extinction  of  a  race,  such  as  that  of 


180  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

the  Great  Auk,  owing  to  persecution,  and  the  comparative 
helplessness  of  this  creature  in  escaping  his  enemies,  particu- 
larly man. 

Should  the  Goldfinches  ever  cease  to  exist,  let  this  be  their 
eulogy.  The  Goldfinches  were  peculiarly  attractive  on  account 
of  their  apparently  happy  disposition,  and  their  sprightly,  ex- 
pressive twitters,  which  were  never  exchanged  for  the  weak 
and  almost  mournful  notes  which  many  other  birds  adopt  in 
autumn  and  winter.  What  more  could  have  been  reasonably 
asked  than  that  these  birds  should  be  finely  colored,  sing 
sweetly,  have  a  variety  of  charming  notes,  possess  a  peculiar 
flight  and  attractive  habits,  be  common  and  resident  through- 
out the  year,  and  frequent  the  neighborhood  of  man? 

% 

(B)   PINUS.     Pine  Finch.     "  Siskin." 

(An  irregular  winter-visitor  to  Massachusetts,  occasionally 
lingering  here  until  June,  and  having  been  known  to  breed  at 
Cambridge.) 

(a).  About  4f  inches  long.  Flaxen;  paler  below.  Thickly 
streaked  with  darker,  rather  finely  so  on  the  head  and  under 
parts.  Wings  and  tail,  black,  with  much  yellow,  which,  in  the 
breeding-season,  is  more  or  less  suffused  throughout  the  plum- 
age. 

(6).  Dr.  Brewer  says :  "  Early  in  May,  1859,  a  pair  of  these 
birds  built  their  nest  in  the  garden  of  Professor  Benjamin 
Pierce,  in  Cambridge,  Mass.,  near  the  colleges.  It  was  found 
on  the  9th  by  Mr.  Frederick  Ware,  and  already  contained  its 
full  complement  of  four  eggs,  partly  incubated."  "  The  eggs 
are  of  an  oblong-oval  shape,  of  a  light  green  ground-color, 
spotted,  chiefly  at  the  larger  end,  with  markings  of  a  light 
rusty-brown.  They  measure  -71  by  -50  of  an  inch." 

(c).  So  irregular  are  the  habits  of  the  American  "  Siskins," 
that  I  have  never  clearly  understood  their  distribution  and 
annual  movements.  Though  these  birds  have  been  known  to 
breed  exceptionally  at  Cambridge,  in  Massachusetts,  they 
usually  breed  in  New  England,  only  to  the  northward  of  that 
State,  such  as  in  certain  places  among  the  White  Mountains 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  181 

and  about  Lake  Umbagog.  They  are  sometimes  common  in 
Massachusetts  during  the  winter,. and  at  other  times  are  alto- 
gether absent  then,  presumably  in  the  latter  case,  not  passing 
to  the  southward  of  their  summer-range.  And  yet  they  are 
said  by  Wilson  to  have  been  common  in  Pennsylvania  for  a 
number  of  successive  winters,  and  are  known  to  occur  occasion- 
ally on  the  shores  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  The  most  interest- 
ing fact  in  their  Natural  History  is  their  frequent  appearance 
near  Boston  in  April  and  May,  or  even  June  and  July,  even 
when  not  observed  in  the  preceding  winter.  Mr.  Maynard 
supposes  that  their  journeys  are  chiefly  governed  by  the  snow, 
but  my  own  observations  do  not  altogether  confirm  this  theory, 
which  I  do  not  think  supported  by  the  facts  relative  to  the 
feeding  of  these  birds,  or  to  their  appearance  here,  for  the  Pine 
Finches  occasionally  reach  Boston  in  autumn,  before  the  snow, 
and  even  as  soon  as  the  young  are  able  to  travel,  though  indeed 
these  latter  are  rarely  hatched  before  August. 

The  Siskins  may  be  observed  in  winter  to  wander  in  flocks 
from  place  to  place,  being,  like  their  various  near  relations,  en- 
tirely nomadic  at  that  season.  They  fly  in  undulations  like 
those  of  the  Goldfinches,  to  whom  they  bear  a  very  strong  re- 
semblance in  other  ways.54  They  live  upon  the  seeds  of  weeds, 
and  those  of  the  several  evergreens,  feeding  both  upon  the 
ground  and  in  trees.  They  may  often  be  seen  clustered  at  the 
top  of  some  tall  pine,  busied  in  extracting  the  seeds,  or  cling- 
ing to  the  cones  of  a  spruce,  with  an  ease  which  clearly  indi- 
cates their  habits.  They  are  also  fond  of  birch-seeds,  which 
are  highly  esteemed  by  many  of  our  winter-birds,  particularly 
the  Ruffed  Grouse.  They  are  graceful  in  their  movements,  and 
their  attitudes,  when  feeding,  are  always  pretty,  but  they  are 
not  such  climbers  as  the  "  Red-polls." 

(d).  The  Pine  Finches  are  closely  allied  to  the  Yellow  Birds 
and  "Red-polls"  by  their  notes,  and  their  sweet  call  is  almost 


64 Mr.  Allen,  in  his  "Winter  Notes  of  an  Ornithologist,"  published  in  the 
\merioan  Natv 
and  more  wiry." 


"  American  Naturalist,"  considers  the  Siskins  swifter  in  flight,  their  notes  "  gilder      7*v/ 


182  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

indistinguishable  from  the  call-notes  of  those  birds.  Their 
song  and  their  twitters,  though  distinct  from  those  of  the 
Goldfinch,  are  yet  much  like  them,  but  their  twitters,  most 
often  uttered  as  they  fly,  are  much  louder  and  less  musical. 
They  have  also  a  very  characteristic  note,  resembling  the  word 
wee,  uttered  in  a  peculiar  tone  with  a  rising  inflection,  and, 
moreover,  if  I  remember  correctly,  a  loud  and  rather  unmusical 
trill. 

V.   JEGIOTHUS 

(A)  LINARIUS.  "Red-poll."  Red-poll  Linnet.  Lesser  "Red- 
poll." 

(Another  irregular  visitant  to  New  England,  in  the  winter- 
season  only,  being  in  some  years  very  common  and  in  others 
altogether  absent,  at  least  in  Massachusetts.) 

(a).  About  5|  inches  long.  Upper  parts,  flaxen,  dark- 
streaked.  Beneath,  whitish,  more  or  less  dusky-streaked. 
Wings  and  tail  dusky,  with  white  edgings  ;  the  former  with  two 
narrow  whitish  bars.  Crown  carmine;  "rump  white  or  rosy, 
always  streaked  with  dusky."  In  the  mature  $  the  breast  is 
bright  rosy,  and  the  under  tail-coverts  paler  and  streaked. 

[Dr.  Coues  has  endeavored  to  establish  one  or  two  varie- 
ties of  this  species,  which  it  is  perhaps  necessary  to  accept. 
They  are  VAR.  fucescens,  Dusky  Red-poll^  a  darker  form  ;  with 
"rump  scarcely  lighter,"  and  "sides  heavily  streaked,"  which 
Dr.  Coues  supposes  may  occur  from  the  wearing  of  the  feathers, 
and  VAR.  exilipes,  American  Mealy  Red-poll,  with  flaxen  paled 
to  whitish,  and  rump  unstreaked  in  adults,  "representing," 
says  Dr.  Coues,  "the  true  Mealy  Redpoll,  A.  canescens,  of 
Greenland."] 

(6).  The  "Red-polls"  breed  in  Arctic  Countries  on  the 
ground,  and  lay  four  or  five  eggs,  which  are  light  greenish-blue, 
with  a  few  brown  spots,  and  which  average  about  *65  X  '50 
of  an  inch. 

(c).  The  "Red-polls"  are  occasionally  the  most  abundant 
of  our  winter-birds,  but,  on  the  other  hand,  several  successive 
winters  often  ^pass,  without  their  occurrence  in  Massachusetts. 


OF    NEW    ENGLAND.  183 

They  breed  in  the  Arctic  countries,  and  when  obliged  to  travel 
to  the  southward,  as  they  sometimes  are,  it  is  supposed,  by 
lack  of  food,  occur  in  the  United  States  in  November,  April, 
and  more  often  the  intervening  months.  They  move  in  flocks, 
which  vary  in  size,  but  sometimes  consist  of  two  hundred  or 
even  more,  and  which  are  frequently  augmented  by  the  compan- 
ionship of  Goldfinches  and  other  birds.  These  flocks  always 
seem,  however,  to  consist  of  more  than  one  species,  since  the 
individuals,  among  whom  the  young  predominate,  represent 
various  colorations  at  the  different  periods  of  their  growth. 

The  "Red-polls"  wander  continually  during  their  visits,  and 
hence  are  very  irregular  in  appearance  at  different  localities. 
I  have  never  observed  them  to  feed  from  the  evergreens,  but 
they  have  a  marked  fondness  for  the  seeds  of  white  birches 
and  of  alders,  and  according  to  Brehm,  the  German  ornitholo- 
gist, pass  the  summer  among  the  former  trees  in  the  most 
northern  part  of  Europe.  They  often  gather  where  the  coarse 
field-weeds  project  above  the  snow,  on  banks  or  roadsides,  and 
also  feed  upon  the  ground.  They  allow  quite  a  near  approach, 
and  when  finally  so  startled  as  to  take  flight,  often  return  to 
the  spot  just  left,  after  circling  in  the  air.  Though  not  alarmed 
by  man's  approach,  they  are  often  shy  of  venturing  near  to 
buildings,  though  I  remember  to  have  seen  two  staying  for  a 
moment  to  feed  with  Snow-birds  on  some  grain  scattered  be- 
fore the  window  of  a  dining-room. 

The  following  extracts  from  my  Journal  will  illustrate  the 
habits  of  these  birds.  "  March  4th.  Sunrise  in  Boston  at  6.30 
a.  m.,  sunset  at  5.55  p.  m.  *  *  *  At  twenty  minutes  before 
six  this  afternoon,  whilst  I  was  exercising  the  dogs,  a  '  Redpoll' 
alighted  near  me  in  a  small  apple-tree.  He  paid  almost  no 
attention  to  me  or  my  companions,  though  we  were  noisy,  and 
I  was  at  one  time  within  five  feet  of  him.  The  dogs  I  finally 
sent  away.  The  bird  at  first  uttered  his  sweet  call-note,  in 
order,  I  suppose,  that  he  might  obtain  the  companionship  of 
his  mates,  if  any  were  near,  and  occasionally  other  sounds  to 
express  his  satisfaction,  as  he  obtained  from  the  bark  bits 
of  food  so  minute  as  to  be  invisible  to  my  eye.  He  displayed 


184  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

thoroughly  his  great  skill  in  climbing,  and  often,  in  searching 
the  crannies  of  the  bark,  hung  with  his  head  downwards.  He 
soon  became  silent,  and  I  remained  motionless  until  five  min- 
utes after  six.  I  then  observed  another  'Red-poll,'  who  flew 
over  at  some  distance,  and  at  a  considerable  height  from  the 
ground,  apparently  about  to  'take  perch'  in  a  neighboring 
pine-grove.  My  friend,  a  moment  later,  took  to  flight  and 
seemed  (it  was  then  dusk)  to  alight  in  a  pine." 

"March  13th.  This  morning  I  went  out  at  twenty  minutes 
before  six,  when  Crows  were  already  beginning  to  fly  over. 
Quarter  of  an  hour  later,  a  '  Red-poll,'  who  was  in  the  pines 

which  border street,  awoke  and  gave  his  call,  which 

was  answered  by  two  or  three  of  his  companions,  who  were 
near  him,  likewise  in  the  pines.  These  birds  then  warbled  for 
about  five  minutes  and  afterwards  flew  away." 

" March  22d.  This  morning  *  *  *  *  the 'Red-polls' awoke 
at  quarter  of  six  among  the  pines,  but  not  those  in  which  they 
were  before,  and  at  once  sang.  I  next  observed  a  solitary 
one,  who  flew  over  at  a  great  height,  but  the  rest  gathered 
into  flocks  and  set  about  the  business  of  the  day,  flying  to  a 
distance.  The  Goldfinches  showed  much  the  same  habits.  At 
six  I  found  one  in  a  pine,  singing  very  sweetly,  but  he  soon 
flew  away,  after  uttering  a  few  twitters." 

"  March  28th.  This  morning  I  left  the  house  at  half-past 
five,  but  spring  has  made  the  birds  rise  very  early,  for  on 
going  out,  I  saw  the  Crows  and  'Red-polls'  flying  over.  At 
six  two  of  the  latter,  who  have  lately  been  very  common, 
alighted  near  me,  to  rest  in  their  early  rambles." 

"April  6th.  A  few  'Red-polls'  flew  over  to-day,  but  they 
are  becoming  scarce." 

"April  24th.  This  afternoon  a 'Red-poll'  (^Egiotlms  Lin- 
an'ws),  who  shows  no  wounds,  nor  as  yst  any  signs  of  decom- 
position, was  picked  up  in  the  barn-cellar,  the  doors  of  which 
were  shut." 

(d).  The  "Red-polls"  have  a  sweet  call-note,  like  that  of 
the  Goldfinch  or  Siskin,  and  a  simple  "chit,"  often  so  repeated, 
especially  by  a  flock,  as  to  resemble  the  twitterings  of  the 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND. 


185 


former  bird,  or  even  those  of  the  latter.  Their  song  is  quite 
like  the  Yellow  Bird's  (C.  tristis),  but  is  distinct,  since  all 
their  ordinary  notes  are  introduced. 

The  winters  when  these  happy,  pretty  little  birds  are  com- 
mon are  always  much  enlivened  by  their  presence,  and  those 
years  are  richer  for  the  naturalist,  which  bring  us  visits  from 
the  Arctic  birds. 

VI.  LINOTA 

(A)    BREWSTERi55     Brewster's  Linnet. 

(One  specimen,  not  clearly  referable  to  any  known  species 
or  variety,  was  obtained  by  Mr.  William  Brewster,  at  Waltham, 
Mass.,  from  a  flock  of  common  "  red-polls.") 

(a).  It  is  described  as  follows  in  Messrs.  Baird,  Brewer,  & 
Ridgway's  "  North  American  Birds." 

"  General  appearance  somewhat  that  of  ^E.  Unarms,  but  no 
red  on  the  crown,  and  the  sides  and  rump  tinged  with  sulphur- 
yellow  ;  no  black  gular  spot.  $  ad.  Ground-color  above 
light  umber,  becoming  sulphur  yellow  on  the  rump,  each  feather, 
even  on  the  crown,  with  a  distinct  medial  stripe  of  dusky. 
Beneath  white,  tinged  with  fulvous  yellow  anteriorly  and  along 
the  sides ;  sides  and  crissum  streaked  with  dusky.  Wings 
and  tail  dusky  ;  the  former  with  two  pale  fulvous  bands ;  the 
secondaries,  primaries,  and  tail-feathers  narrowly  skirted  with 
whitish  sulphur-yellow.  A  dusky  loral  spot,  and  a  rather  dis- 
tinct lighter  superciliary  stripe.  Wing  3'00  ;  tail  2*50  ;  tarsus 
•50  ;  middle  toe,  -30.  Wing  formula,  1,  2,  3,  etc." 

VII.  PLECTROPHANES 

(A)   NIVALIS.     Snow  Bunting.^     "  Snow-flake." 
(An  inhabitant  of  the  "  far  North,"  visiting  New  England 
in  winter,  in  large  assemblies.) 

(a).   6£-7  inches  long.     In  the  breeding-season,  pure  white 


66  Since  named  jEgiothus  flavirostris  var.  Brewsteri. 

66  Sometimes  called  '•  White  Snow-bird,"  in  distinction  to  the  so-called  Black  or 
Blue  Snow-bird. 


186  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

with  black  variegations,  and  a  black  bill.  In  winter,  bill 
brown,  and  the  plumage  endlessly  varied.  A  specimen  before 
me,  a  very  fair  type,  is  chiefly  white,  with  a  rich  dark  brown 
on  the  crown,  becoming  lighter  and  warmer  on  the  back  of 
the  neck  and  on  the  rump.  The  interscapulars  are  vaguely 
streaked  with  white,  black,  and  brown,  these  colors  extending 
to  the  scapulars.  Wings  and  tail,  chiefly  black  and  white. 
Under  parts,  snowy-white,  with  a  light  warm  brown  patch  on 
each  side  of  the  breast.  Specimens  have  been  obtained  pure 
white,  and  unmarked. 

(6).  Mr.  Macfarlane  found  on  the  Arctic  coast  a  "nest  sit- 
uated in  a  cave  in  a  sand-bank."  "  The  eggs,  five  in  number, 
are  of  a  dull  white,  with  perhaps  a  faint  bluish  cast,  sprinkled 
and  spattered  with  dilute  yellowish-rufous,  the  markings  most 
numerous  toward  the  larger  end  ;  they  measure  '95  of  an  inch 
in  length  by  -64  in  breadth." 

(c).  The  Snow  Buntings  are  quite  regular  as  winter-visitors 
to  New  England,  appearing  in  November,  April,  and  the  inter- 
vening months.  They  are  very  restless,  and  roam  over  the 
country  in  flocks,  which  sometimes  contain  thousands  of  indi- 
viduals. They  have  very  good  powers  of  flight,  and  hence  can 
take  long  flights  whenever  their  wishes  or  instincts  prompt 
them  to  do  so.  They  generally  move  to  the  northward  when 
long-continued  fine  weather  occurs,  and  to  the  southward  on 
the  advent  of  heavy  snow-storms,  and  therefore  have  acquired, 
in  their  winter-haunts,  the  name  of  "  bad-weather  birds,"  a  title 
which  originated  in  Europe,  where  they  are  well  known.  The 
Snow  Buntings  for  the  most  part  breed  in  Arctic  countries,  but 
a  pair  have  been  known  to  build  their  nest  near  Springfield, 
Massachusetts,  and,  says  Mr.  Maynard,57  "  this  species  may 
breed  on  the  tops  of  some  of  the  ranges  of  Maine  and  New 
Hampshire.  I  have  a  note  of  a  well  authenticated  instance  of 
a  large  flock  being  seen  on  Mount  Katahdin,  in  early  August, 
.1869."  None,  however,  have  ever  been  reported  in  summer 


w  "  A  Catalogue  of  the  Birds  of  Coos  Co.,  N.  H.,  and  Oxford  Co.,  Maine,"  etc.; 
57th  species,  p.  17  of  pamphlet. 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND. 


187 


from  Mt.  Washington,  the  highest  peak  in  New  England,  and 
I  saw  none  on  walking  up  Mount  Lafayette,  another  prominent 
peak,  in  the  early  part  of  September,  though  it  was  very  cold 
at  the  summit,  and  the  true  Snow-birds  (Junco  hyemalis)  were 
very  abundant  at  comparatively  great  altitudes,  where  the  veg- 
etation was  stunted.  Audubon  speaks,  however,  of  a  nest  found 
among  the  White  Mountains,  in  July,  1831,  and  seen  by  Wm. 
M.  Boott,  Esq.,  of  Boston.  It  is  probable  that  the  Snow  Bunt- 
ings normally  belong  to  the  United  States  as  winter- visitors 
only,  and  as  such  occur  so  far  to  the  southward  as  Kentucky, 
if  not  still  further.  They  are  not  so  shy  as  one  might  reason- 
ably suppose  them  to  be  from  their  habits  in  summer,  but  near 
Boston  frequent  the  "  Back  Bay  lands,"  the  roads,  and  road- 
sides. They  often  obtain  seeds  from  the  weeds  in  fields  and 
ploughed  lands,  but  they  are  most  common  on  and  near  the 
sea-shore,  where  they  feed  much  upon  small  shell-fish.  Wilson 
says :  — u  In  passing  down  the  Seneca  river  towards  lake 
Ontario,  late  in  the  month  of  October,  I  was  surprised  by  the 
appearance  of  a  large  flock  of  these  birds  feeding  on  the  sur- 
face of  the  water,  supported  on  the  tops  of  a  growth  of  weeds 
that  rose  from  the  bottom,  growing  so  close  together  that  our 
boat  could  with  great  difficulty  make  its  way  through  them. 
They  were  running  about  with  great  activity  ;  and  those  I  shot 
and  examined  were  filled,  not  only  with  the  seeds  of  this  plant, 
but  with  a  minute  kind  of  shell  fish  that  adheres  to  the  leaves. 
In  these  *  *  *  aquatic  excursions  they  are  doubtless  greatly 
assisted  by  the  length  of  their  hind  heel  and  claws.  I  also 
observed  a  few  on  Table  rock,  above  the  falls  of  Niagara, 
seemingly  in  search  of  the  same  kind  of  food."  Mr.  Mayuard 
speaks  of  thousands  feeding  on  the  seeds  of  beach-grass,  at 
the  Ipswich  Sand-hills.58  The  Snow  Buntings  run  with  ease 
and  rapidity,  like  the  larks,  and  fly  with  considerable  swift- 
ness, when  in  flocks  often  whirling  like  a  flurry  of  snow  before 
alighting  on  the  ground.  They  are  the  most  picturesque  of 
our  winter-birds,  and  often  enliven  an  otherwise  dreary  scene, 


"  The  Naturalist's  Guide,"  p.  112. 


188  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

especially  when  flying,  for  they  then  seem  almost  like  an  ani- 
mated storm,  driven  before  a  gusty  wind. 

(d). '  Their  principal  notes  are  a  clearly  piped  whistle,  and  a 
peculiar  chirr ,  which  they  often  utter  when  on  wing.  Their 
song,  rarely  to  be  heard  in  Massachusetts,  is  short  and  simple, 
but  quite  sweet. 

(B)   LAPPONICUS.   Lapland  Longspur.     Lapland  Bunting. 

(Rare  in  Massachusetts,  where  it  is  present  in  the  winter- 
season  only  ;  "  common  on  the  Ipswich  Sand-hills."  ) 

(a).  6-6 £  inches  long.  $ ,  in  the  breeding-season,  with  the 
crown,  forehead,  sides  of  the  head,  throat,  and  upper  breast, 
continuously  black.  Superciliary  line,  whitish,  continuing  down 
the  side  of  the  chestnut-red  patch  on  the  back  of  the  neck. 
Interscapulars,  dark  brown  or  blackish-,  with  lighter  edges. 
Lower  breast  and  belly,  whitish ;  the  former  more  or  less 
streaked.  Wings  and  tail  dusky;  the  former  marked  with 
bay  (and  white),  the  latter  with  conspicuous  white  patches. 
$ ,  in  winter,  with  the  black  interrupted  and  the  chestnut-red 
less  pure.  9 ,  with  the  throat  much  like  the  breast,  crown 
like  the  back,  and  the  chestnut  almost  wanting. 

(5).  In  eggs  from  Anderson  River,  "  where  distinctly  visible, 
the  ground-color  appears  to  be  of  yellowish-gray,  *  *  *.  The 
blotches  are  of  various  shades  of  brown,  with  shadings  of  olive, 
purple,  or  red,  and  at  times  almost  black."  "They  measure 
•80  X  '60  of  an  inch." 

(c).  The  "Longspurs,"  as  their  name  indicates,  have  re- 
markably long  hind-claws,  such  as  also  belong  to  the  Snow 
Buntings,  to  whom  they  are  as  closely  allied  by  habits  and 
no.tes  as  otherwise.  They  are  still  more  northern  in  their  range 
than  those  birds,  and  pass  the  summer  in  Arctic  countries 
only.  Brehni  says,  from  his  own  observations  at  this  season 
in  the  extreme  North  of  Europe,  that  they  may  be  found 
among  the  birch-woods  there,  where  they  often  perch  upon  the 
trees,  feed  much  upon  the  gnats  which  swarm  in  the  toondras, 
and  sing  only  when  on  the  wing,  often  hovering  like  the  Lark 
when  doing  so,  whereas  the  Snow  Buntings  usually  perch  on 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  189 

rocks,  and  are  not  naturally  shy.  They  occur  in  Massachu- 
setts as  rare  winter-visitors  only,  and  as  occasional  stragglers 
in  large  flocks  of  Snow  Buntings  or  Shore  Larks,  though,  says 
Mr.  Maynard,  "common  on  the  Ipswich  Sand-hills."  They 
frequent  almost  exclusively  the  coast  or  the  lands  near  it, 
feeding  on  seeds  and  small  shell-fish.  They  run  nimbly,  fly 
swiftly,  and  chiefly  affect  the  ground,  but  occasionally  perch 
in  trees. 

(d).  They  have  a  shrill  chirr,  and  a  rather  melancholy  call 
of  two  syllables.  Their  song  is  said  to  be  simple  but  sweet, 
with  their  call-notes  often  introduced.  * 

VIII.   CHONDESTES 

(A)    GRAMMACA.   Lark  Finch. 

(An  inhabitant  of  the  western  United  States,  one,  however, 
being  "taken  in  Gloucester,  in  1845,  by  S.  Jillson."59) 

(a).  About  6£  inches  long.  "Crown  chestnut  blackening 
on  forehead,  divided  by  a  median  stripe,  and  bounded  by 
superciliary  stripes,  of  white ;  a  black  line  through  eye, 
and  another  below  eye,  enclosing  a  white  streak  under  the  eye 
and  the  chestnut  auriculars  ;  next,  a  sharp  black  maxillary 
stripe  not  quite  reaching  the  bill,  cutting  off  a  white  stripe 
from  the  white  chin  and  throat.  A  black  blotch  on  middle  of 
breast.  Under  parts  white,  faintly  shaded  with  grayish-brown  ; 
upper  parts  grayish-brown,  the  middle  of  the  back  with  fine 
black  streaks.  Tail  very  long,  its  central  feathers  like  the 
back,  the  rest  jet-black,  broadly  tipped  with  pure  white  in 
diminishing  amount  from  the  lateral  pair  inward,  and  the  outer 
web  of  the  outer  pair  entirely  white."  (Dr.  Coues.) 

(6).  The  nest  of  these  birds  is  most  often  built  upon  the 
ground.  "The  maximum  number  of  their  eggs"  says  Dr. 
Brewer  "is  five.  Their  average  measurement  is  *85  by  -65  of 
an  inch.  The  ground-color  is  usually  a  grayish- white,  rarely 
a  light  brown,  marbled  and  streaked  with  waving  lines,  and  a 
few  dots  of  black  or  a  blackish-brown." 


H>  Maynard,  Naturalist's  Guide,  p.  112.    Gloucester  is  on  the  coast  of  Massachu- 
setts, north  of  Boston. 


190  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

(c).  The  Lark  Finches,  since  but  one  specimen  has  been 
taken  in  this  State,  namely,  at  Gloucester,  in  1845,  have  no 
more  claim  to  be  considered  or  treated  as  birds  of  Massachu- 
setts, than  a  Turk  who  passes  a  day  and  night  at  Paris  to  be 
called  a  Frenchman  ;  but,  in  conformity  to  the  strict  but  not 
unreasonable  demands  of  modern  science,  I  shall  give  a  brief 
account  of  its  habits,  formed  from  the  observations  of  other 
naturalists.  The '  Lark  Finches  feed  principally  upon  seeds 
which  they  obtain  upon  the  ground.  The}r  are  most  abundant 
in  prairies  and  other  open  lands,  though  they  also  visit  trees, 
or  resort  to  their  immecffate  neighborhood.  In  general  habits, 
they  resemble  the  White-throated  Sparrows  (Zonotrichioe^  next 
to  whom  they  should  properly  stand).  Mr.  Ridgway  considered 
their  delightful  song,  which  is  usually  delivered  from  a  perch, 
as  the  finest  belonging  to  the  finches. 

IX.   AMMODROMUS 

(A)   MARITIMUS.   Sea-side  Finch. 

(Almost  wholly  absent  from  Massachusetts,  though  said  by 
Dr.  Coues  to  be,  or  to  have  been,  abundant  in  New  Hamp- 
shire.) 

(a).  About  six  inches  long.  Tail-feathers  narrow  and 
pointed,  as  also  in  caudacutus.  Superciliary  line  from  bill  to 
eye,  and  edge  of  the  wing,  yellow.  Upper  parts,  and  side- 
shading  below,  brown  or  gray,  olive-tinted,  the  former  more  or 
less  streaked.  Under  parts,  white  ;  breast  tinted  with  brown, 
and  faintly  or  obsoletely  streaked.  Wings  and  tail,  plain, 
scarcely  marked.  Side-markings  on  the  head,  vague. 

(6).  "The  nest  is  usually  placed  in  a  tussock  of  grass,  in 
the  fresh  water  marshes,  or  on  the  sea-shore  beyond  the  reach 
of  high-tide."  The  eggs  measure  about  -80  X  "57  of  an  inch, 
and  are  white,  gray-tinged,  thickly,  finely,  and  most  often 
evenly  marked  with  brown,  which  is  sometimes  confluent  or 
predominant  at  the  crown. 

(c).  I  regret  that  I  know  nothing  of  the  habits  of  the  Sea- 
side Finches,  and  that  I  cannot  add  to  what  has  appeared  in  the 
various  meagre  accounts  of  these  birds  already  published. 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND. 


191 


Dr.  Coues  considered  this  species  abundant  on  the  coast  of 
New  Hampshire,  but  "  Mr.  Brewster  *  *  *  *  has  looked  for 
it  in  vain  at  Rye  Beach."  Mr.  Maynard  doubts  the  occurrence 
of  these  birds  on  the  coast  of  Massachusetts,  but,  says  Mr. 
Allen,  in  his  "Notes  on  the  Rarer  Birds  of  Massachusetts," 
"  they  were  formerly  known  to  breed  in  the  Chelsea  marshes, 
and  probably  do  still."  Wilson  speaks  of  the  Sea-side  Finch 
as  "keeping  almost  continually  within  the  boundaries  of  tide 
water,"  and  adds  that  "  amidst  the  recesses  of  these  wet  sea 
marshes  it  seeks  the  rankest  growth  of  grass,  and  sea  weed, 
and  climbs  along  the  stalks  of  the  rushes  with  as  much  dex- 
terity as  it  runs  along  the  ground,  which  is  rather  a  singular 
circumstance,  most  of  our  climbers  being  rather  awkward  at 
running."60 

(d).  Their  notes  are  said  to  be  a  chirp,  and  a  song,  hardly 
worthy  of  the  name,  which  is  somewhat  like  that  of  the  Yel- 
low-winged Sparrow. 

(B)    CAUDACUTUS.     Sharp-tailed  Finch. 

(A  summer-resident  in  Massachusetts,  but  rare,  being  con- 
fined to  a  few  marshes  and  other  places.) 

(a).  About  5-J  inches  long.  Tail-feathers  more  sharply 
pointed  than  in  maritimus.  (Edge  of  the  wing,  yellowish.) 
Crown,  brownish,  black-streaked,  and  with  a  median  line. 
Superciliary  line,  and  sides  of  the  head,  orange-brown.  Ear- 
patch,  and  back,  brown  or  gray,  olive-tinted  ;  the  latter  dark- 
streaked  (with  feathers  pale-edged).  Beneath,  white;  breast, 
brownish-yellow,  black- streaked. 

(b).  The  nest  and  eggs  resemble  very  exactly  those  of  the 
Sea-side  Finch,  being  found  in  marshes  and  on  the  sea-shore. 
The  eggs  measure  about  -77X*55  of  an  inch,  and  are  white, 
gray-tinted,  thickly,  finely,  and  usually  evenly  marked  with 
brown,  which  sometimes  predominates  about  the  crown,  or  is 
confluent.  Mr.  Brewster  says  that  they  are  not  laid  here  until 
the  first  week  of  July,  but  these  may  belong  to  a  second  set. 

(c).   With  the  Sharp-tailed  Finches  I  can  claim  no  intimate 

•°  Vol.  IV,  p.  68. 


9  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

acquaintance.  ,  They  probably  do  not  occur  to  the  northward 
of  Massachusetts,  where  they  are  chiefly  confined  to  a  few  lo- 
calities, such  as  the  salt-water  marshes  of  Charles  River,  and 
those  at  Ipswich.  These  places  they  reach  in  April,  and  do 
not  leave  until  October,  or  even  the  latter  part  of  that  month. 
They  sometimes  frequent  the  fresh-water  marshes,  but  gener- 
ally prefer  the  sea-coast  and  its  neighborhood.  They  run  very 
nimbly,  and  make  their  way  so  cleverly  among  the  rushes  and 
tall  grass  that  one  cannot  easily  see  them  except  by  "flushing" 
them,  when  they  take  a  short  flight  and  immediately  drop  to 
conceal  themselves.  They  are  already  very  rare  in  this  State, 
and,  I  fear,  will  be  soon  exterminated  here,  as,  from  their 
scarcity,  they  are  unwisely  persecuted  every  year  by  enter- 
prising naturalists.  Their  extermination  is  facilitated  by  their 
confinement  to  a  few  places,  where  they  may  be  considered,  in 
a  broad  sense  of  the  term,  colonial.  Dr.  Brewer  says  that 
their  flight  '"  is  quite  different  from  that  of  any  other  bird," 
and  as  I*  have  myself  observed,  that  "  in  flying  they  drop  their 
tails  very  low." 

(d).  Their  single  ordinary  note  is  "rather  more  mellow  than 
that  of  the  Sea-side  Finch,"  but  their  song  has  little  or  no 
merit,  and  consists  of  but  a  few  notes. 

X.     COTURNICULUS 

(A)   PASSERINUS.     Yellow-winged  Sparrow. 

(A  summer-resident  in  Massachusetts,  but  in  many  parts 
rare.) 

(a).  About  five  inches  long.  Crown,  very  dark,  with  a 
brownish-3'ellow  median  line,  and  a  lighter  superciliary  line. 
Jnterscapulars,  dull  bay,  black-streaked,  and  edged  with  brown- 
ish-yellow. Rump,  brown  and  gray  intermixed.  Beneath, 
brownish-yellow  or  buff  (obsoletely  streaked)  ;  belly,  almost 
white.  Wings  edged  with  bright  yellow,  and  with  a  patch 
(the  lesser  covert)  yellowish ;  otherwise  corresponding  to  the 
back  and  tail. 

(6).  The  nest  is  usually  placed  on  the  ground,  in  a  field  or 
pasture,  is  often  lined  with  hairs,  and  is  here  finished  in  the 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  193 

last  week  of  May.  Four  or  five  eggs  are  then  laid,  averaging 
•78X'GO  of  an  inch,  and  normally  are  white,  with  a  wreath  of 
blended  reddish-brown  and  obscure  lilac  spots  about  the  greater 
end,  and  a  few  scattered  spots  of  the  former  color  elsewhere. 
In  some  cases  the  markings  cover  the  greater  end,  so  that  there 
is  no  distinct  ring. 

(c).  My  own  observations  have  shown  me  that  the  Yellow- 
winged  Sparrows  are  rare,  at  least  in  some  parts  of  Eastern 
Massachusetts,  though  common  in  others,  during  their  com- 
paratively brief  residence  here  through  May  and  the  summer- 
months.  Mr.  Maynard,  however,  considers  them  as  "not  un- 
common" throughout  this  district,  being  "very  numerous  on 
Nantucket  Island  ;"  but  Mr.  Allen  is,  I  think,  right  in  believ- 
ing them  to  be  more  abundant  in  the  western  than  in  the  other 
portions  of  the  State,  as.  for  instance,  near  Springfield.  To 
the  northward  of  Massachusetts  they  perhaps  do  not  occur. 
They  frequent  almost  exclusively  dry  fields,  particularly  such 
as  are  sandy  or  do  not  contain  a  luxuriant  vegetation,  arid 
feed  upon  seeds  and  insects.  They  are  rather  shy,  and  often 
nimbly  escape  a  near  approach.  They  run  with  ease,  and 
never  leave  the  ground,  except  to  take  a  short,  low  flight,  or 
to  perch  upon  the  top  ^  of  some  weed,  or  on  some  fence. 
Though  often  more  or  less  collective,  they  are  never  strictly 
gregarious. 

(d) .  Their  ordinary  notes  are  a  chirr  ^  much  like  the  note  of 
some  insect,  and  an  occasional  chick.  Their  song  is  so  pecul- 
iar as  to  be  quite  characteristic,  and  may  be  represented  by 
the  syllables  "chick1,  chick-a-see"  with  the  chief  accent  on  the 
last  and  highest  of  these.  Wilson  speaks  of  their  "short, 
weak,  interrupted  chirrup." 

(B)   HENSLOWI.     Henslow's  Bunting.     Henslow's  Sparrow. 

(A  summer-resident  in  Massachusetts  of  rarity.) 

(«).  Five  inches  long  (or  less).  Like  passerinus  (A,  a)  but 
"more  yellowish  above,  and  with  sharp  maxillary,  pectoral 
and  lateraUblack  streaks  below."  (Coues.) 

(6).  The  nest,  which  is  somewhat  coarse,  is  built  upon  the 
H 


194  LAND-BIRDS   AND   GAME-BIRDS 

ground.  "The  eggs,"  says  Dr.  Brewer,  "  five  or  six  in  number, 
somewhat  resemble  those  of  the  C.  passerinus.  Their  ground- 
color is  a  clear  bright  white,  and  they  are  spotted  with  well- 
defined  reddish-brown  markings  and  more  subdued  tints  of 
purple.  The  markings,  so  far  as  I  have  seen  their  eggs,  are 
finer  and  fewer  than  those  of  C.  passerinus^  and  are  distributed 
more  exclusively  around  the  larger  end.  The  eggs  measure 
•78X'60  of  an  inch,  and  are  of  a  more  oblong  oval  than  those 
of  the  common  Yellow-wing." 

(c).  The  Henslow's  Buntings  are  very  rare  in  Massachu- 
setts, though  said  by  Mr.  Ma}'nard61  to  seem  "more  common 
at  some  localities  in  the  State  than"  their  immediate  relations, 
the  Yellow-winged  Sparrows.  Like  these  latter  birds  they  fre- 
quent fields  (and  chiefly,  so  far  as  my  observations  prove,  those 
which  are  dry  or  sandy),  and  are  always  on  or  near  the  ground. 
The}^  feed  on  seeds  and  insects,  and  easily  secure  the  smaller 
beetles,  etc.,  from  the  facility  with  which  they  run  and  make 
their  way  among  the  weeds  and  grass.  Mr.  Maynard62  has 
recorded  that  he  "took  two  males  in  a  wet  meadow  on  May 
10, 1867,"  whose  "  song-note"  was  " like  the  syllables  'see-wick,' 
with  the  first  prolongedly  and  the  second  quickly  given."  I 
have  seen  the  Henslow's  Sparrows  here  only  in  May  and  the 
warmer  part  of  summer  ;  but,  though  Massachusetts  is  consid- 
ered as  their  northern  limit,  I  have  suspicions,  upon  which  I 
/  shall  not  here  enlarge,  that  they  occur  in  at  least  one  spot 
among  the  White  Mountains.  I  may  add  that  this  species  was 
at  first  recorded  in  this  State  as  Bachman's  Finch  (Peuccea 
cestivalis),  an  error  afterwards  corrected. 

(d).  Mr.  Ridgway,  as  quoted  by  Dr.  Brewer,  speaks  of 
"the  tail* being  depressed,  and  the  head  thrown  back  at  each 
utterance"  of  their  notes. 


61  As  quoted  by  Mr.  Allen  in  his  "Notes  on  Some  of  the  Rarer  Birds  of  Mas- 
sachusetts." 

62 In  his  "Naturalist's  Guide,"  p.  117. 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND. 


195 


XI.    PASSERCULUS 

(A)    PRINCEPS.     Ipswich  Sparrow. 

(A  northern  species,  but  lately  discovered,  reaching  New 
England  in  winter.) 

(a).  Mr.  Maynard  describes  as  follows  the  first  specimen 
obtained  (though  the  italicizing  is  my  own)  :  "Back  grayish  ; 
the  middle  of  the  feathers  having  a  black  centre  edged  with 
rufous.  Top  of  head  streaked  with  dusky  and  pale  rufous, 
divided  by  a  broad  stripe  of  pale  yellowish  white.  There  is  also 
a  whitish  superciliary  stripe  extending  from  the  base  of  the 
bill  to  the  back  of  the  head.  Ear-coverts  grayish,  with  a 
rufous  tinge."  (Description  of  wings  here  omitted.)  White 
wing-bars  "rather  indistinct."  "Tail  brownish,  with  the  tips  of 
the  feathers  and  terminal  half  of  the  outer  web  of  the  outer  tail- 
feathers  pale  yellowish  white;  the  rest  of  the  tail-feathers  nar- 
rowly edged  with  the  same.  Under  parts,  including  under 
tail-coverts,  pure  white.  Feathers  of  the  sides  of  the  throat, 
with  a  broad  band  across  the  breast  and  sides,  streaked  with 
rufous,  with  dusky  centres.  The  throat  is  indistinctly  spotted 
with  dusky.  A  triangular  spot  on  the  sides  of  the  neck,  below 
the  ear-coverts,  pale  buff;  ears  dusky.  Bill  dark  brown,  with 
the  base  of  the  under  mandible  paler.  Eyes  and  feet  brown." 
Length,  six  inches  (or  more). 

(c).  That  I  may  do  full  honor  to  Mr.  Maynard,  as  the  dis- 
coverer of  a  bird,  not  before  described,  in  a  country  well  popu- 
lated by  naturalists  of  all  sorts,  I  shall  here  transcribe  at 
length  his  own  remarks  about  the  Ipswich  Sparrow,  which  he 
at  first  erroneously  supposed  to  be  the  Baird's  Sparrow,63  Pro- 
fessor Baird  having  pronounced  it  to  be  that  species.  This 
mistake,  however  excusable  on  the  part  of  the  latter  gentle- 
man, who  is  ranked  as  the  foremost  of  American  naturalists, 


63  Until  within  the  last  two  or  three  years  this  latter  bird,  a  species  confined  to 
the  western  United  States,  was  known  to  ornithologists  by  one  specimen  only,  one 
of  those  shot  by  Audubon  "  upon  the  banks  of  the  Yellowstone  River,  July  26, 
1843."  Lately  others  have  been  shot,  and  their  habits  studied  in  northern  Dakota. 


196  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

shows  the  necessity  of  strict  accuracy  and  the  utmost  care  in 
scientific  investigation. 

Mr.  Maynard  says :  "  The  Ipswich  Sand-hills,  where  the 
specimen  was  procured,  is  a  most  peculiar  place.  I  never  have 
met  with  its  equal  anywhere.  Years  ago  these  Sand-hills, 
which  are  three  miles  long  by  three-fourths  of  a  mile  across, 
and  contain  about  one  thousand  acres,  were  covered  with  a 
thick  growth  of  pine-trees.  Protected  by  these  trees,  and 
among  them,  dwelt  a  tribe  of  Indians,  whose  earlier  presence 
is  indicated,  not  only  by  tradition,  but  by  numerous  shell  heaps 
scattered  over  the  Sand-hills  at  irregular  intervals.  Indeed, 
even  now  the  ashes  of  camp-fires  may  be  seen,  apparently 
fresh.  Upon  the  advent  of  the  white  man,  the  usual  event 
transpired,  namely,  the  disappearance  of  the  trees ;  and  to- 
day, with  the  exception  of  a  few  scattering  ones  at  the  south- 
easterly corner,  near  the  house  of  the  proprietor  of  the  Sand- 
hills, Mr.  George  Woodbury,  not  a  tree  is  to  be  seen.  All  is 
bleak  and  barren.  The  surface  of  the  ground,  once  covered 
with  a  slight  deposit  of  soil,  has  become  a  mass  of  shifting 
sands.  Many  times  has  the  present  owner  had  cause  to  regret 
the  want  of  foresight  in  his  ancestors  in  removing  the  trees,  as 
the  several  acres  of  arable  land  around  the  house  are  now  cov- 
ered with  sand,  including  a  valuable  apple-orchard.  Upon  this 
orchard  the  sand  has  drifted  to  the  depth  of  thirty  feet.  Some 
of  the  trees  present  the  curious  phenomenon  of  apples  growing 
upon  limbs  that  protrude  a  few  feet  only  above  the  sand,  while 
the  trunk  and  lower  branches  are  buried !  The  Sand-hills,  in 
places,  are  covered  with  a  sparse  growth  of  coarse  grass,  upon 
the  seeds  of  which,  as  I  have  remarked  elsewhere,  thousands 
of  Snow  Buntings  feed.  There  are,  in  some  places,  sinks  or 
depressions  with  the  level  of  the  sea.  In  these  sinks,  which, 
except  during  the  summer  months,  are  filled  with  fresh  water, 
a  more  luxuriant  growth  of  grass  appears.  Walking,  on  De- 
cember 4,  1868,  near  one  of  these  places,  in  search  of  Lapland 
Longspurs,  I  started  a  sparrow  from  out  the  tall  grass,  which 
flew  wildly,  and  alighted  again  a  few  rods  away.  I  approached 
the  spot,  surprised  at  seeing  a  sparrow  at  this  late  day  so  far 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  197 

north,  especially  in  so  bleak  a  place.  After  some  trouble  I 
again  started  it.  It  flew  wildly  as  before,  when  I  fired,  and 
was  fortunate  enough  to  secure  it.  It  proved  to  be  Baird's 
Sparrow.  When  I  found  I  had  taken  a  specimen  which  I  had 
never  seen  before,— although  at  that  time  I  did  not  know  its 
name  or  the  interest  attached  to  it, — I  instantlv  went  in  search 
of  more.  After  a  time  I  succeeded  in  starting  another.  This 
one,  however,  rose  too  far  off  for  gunshot,  and  I  did  not  secure 
it.  It  flew  away  to  a  great  distance,  when  I  lost  sight  of  it. 
After  this  I  thought  that  among  the  myriads  of  Snow  Buntings 
that  continually  rose  a  short  distance  from  me  I  again  detected 
it,  but  I  was  perhaps  mistaken.  I  am  confident  of  having  seen 
it  in  previous  years  at  this  place,  earlier  in  the  season." 
**##*## 

u  %  *  *  As  might  be  expected,  I  heard  no  song-note 
at  this  season,  but  simply  a  short  chirp  of  alarm." 

The  Ipswich  Sparrows  a/e  now  known  to  be  regular  winter- 
visitants  from  the  North  along  the  coast  of  New  England. 
They  also  occur  inland,  as  I  observed  two,  who  were  extremely 
shy,  in  a  sandy  field  at  the  distance  of  several  miles  from  the 
sea. 

(B)    SAVANNA.     Savannah  Sparrow. 

(A  rather  colonial  species,  locally  common  in  the  summer- 
season  throughout  New  England.) 

(a).  About  5£  inphes  long.  With  no  bright  tints  (espec- 
ially about  the  interscapulars) ,  and  rarely  a  prominent  pectoral 
blotch,  as  in  the  Song  Sparrow  (XIII,  A,  who  sometimes, 
however,  lacks  the  latter  feature),  and  never  with  a  chestnut 
patch  on  the  wing,  or  conspicuous  white  on  the  tail  as  in  the 
Grass  Finch  (XII,  A).  Feathers  above,  brownish-gray,  on  the 
tail  scarcely  marked,  but  elsewhere  pale-edged,  and  darkly 
streaked,  most  finely  upon  the  crown.  Superciliary  line  and 
edge  of  the  wing,  yellowish ;  a  faint  line  dividing  the  crown, 
whitish.  Beneath  white  (or  buffish),  with  dark  streaks,  brown- 
edged.  A  little  bay  is  to  be  found  on  the  wings,  and  among 
the  interscapulars. 


198  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

(6).  The  nest  is  built  on  the  ground,  in  the  various  summer- 
haunts  of  this  bird.  It  is  composed  chiefly  of  dry  grasses, 
and  in  Eastern  Massachusetts  is  finished  in  the  second  week  of 
May.  Four  or  five  eggs  are  then  laid,  averaging  '75  X  '55  of 
an  inch,  exhibiting  great  variation,  and  often  approaching 
those  of  other  sparrows.  Some  are  dull  white,  faintly  and 
minutely  marked,  most  thickly  at  the  crown.  Dr.  Brewer 
says  :  "In  some  the  ground-color,  which  is  of  a  greenish-white, 
is  plainly  visible,  being  only  partially  covered  with  blotches 
of  brown,  shaded  with  red  and  purple.  These  blotches  are 
more  numerous  about  the  larger  end,  becoming  confluent  and 
forming  a  corona.  In  others  the  ground-color  is  entirely  con- 
cealed by  confluent  ferruginous  fine  clots,  over  which  are  darker 
markings  of  brown  and  purple  and  a  still  darker  ring  of  the 
same  about  the  larger  end."  • 

(c).  The  Savannah  Sparrows  show  a  marked  preference  for 
the  sea-coast,  and  the  islands  near  it,  and  are  to  be  found  much 
farther  to  the  northward  along  the  coast-line  than  in  the  inte- 
rior, where,  however,  they  frequently  occur  to  the  southward  of 
the  mountain-chains  in  northern  New  England.  To  the  inland, 
rather  than  along  the  shore,  they  are  locally  distributed,  being 
the  most  colonial  of  all  our  sparrows.  Though  collective,  they 
do  not  cluster  as  the  swallows  do,  but  many  often  pass  the 
summer  in  one  place,  and  several  pairs  frequent  the  same  field, 
or  the  same  strip  of  shore.  They  reach  Eastern  Massachu- 
setts, where  they  are  particularly  "abundant  in  the  salt-water 
marshes  and  their  neighborhood,"  in  the  second  or  third  week 
of  April,  but  many  soon  pass  to  the  northward. 

They  have  a  settlement,  if  I  may  so  call  it,  at  a  place  in  the 
White  Mountains,  where  I  made  the  following  observations. 
They  there  inhabited  the  fields  and  pasture-lands.  In  the 
earlier  part  of  July  they  were  seen  in  small  flocks,  or  families, 
to  visit  gardens  in  the  search  of  food  ;  and,  even  so  late  as  the 
twenty-third  of  that  month,  a  nest  was  found  containing  freshly 
laid  eggs.  As  well-grown  young  were  also  then  observed,  they 
doubtless  reared  two  broods  ;  and  certainly  until  the  latter 
part  of  August  they  remained  in  the  fields  where  they  had 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  199 

built  their  nests.  Although  they  were  eminently  terrestrial  in 
habits,  and  fed  and  nested  on  the  ground,  yet  they  not  unfre- 
quently  alighted  on  the  fences  between  the  pastures,  and  by  the 
roadsides,  or  rarely  on  the  telegraph-wires.  They  were  very 
nimble  on  the  ground,  often  chasing  the  insects,  which  consti- 
tuted their  chief  food  ;  and  usually,  when  frightened  from  their 
nests,  they  feigned  lameness,  and  endeavored  to  lead  one  from 
the  spot, — whereas  the  Bay-winged  Buntings  generally  flew  at 
once  to  some  near  fence.  Unlike  these  latter,  they  did  not 
often  venture  to  the  roads,  except  when,  autumn  drawing  near, 
they  associated  with  the  "  Grass  Finches,"  and  followed  their 
habits  more  closely  than  during  the  breeding-season.  In  Sep 
tember  they  seemed  less  numerous  than  in  July,  but  wandered 
much  more  freely  over  the  country. 

In  Massachusetts,  a  few  stay  until  November,  but  a  majority 
pass  to  the  southward  earlier,  and  I  have  never  known  any  to 
spend  the  winter  in  New  England.  There  is  nothing  very 
characteristic  in  their  flight,  which  is  usually  short  and  low. 
They  are  often  shy,  and  can  never  be  closely  approached  when 
on  the  ground,  and  though  they  sometimes  feed  in  gardens 
near  houses  or  barns,  they  commonly  prefer  the  more  remote 
fields,  where  civilization  is  not  busy. 

(d).  Their  notes  are  interesting,  as  distinct  from  those  of 
other  birds,  and  so  far  as  I  know,  are  appreciably  like  only 
those  of  the  Yellow-winged  Sparrows.  Besides  a  low  chip  (?) 
they  have  a  peculiar  chirp,  which  one  might  reasonably  attrib- 
ute to  some  loud-voiced  cricket  or  beetle,  and  which  also  bears 
resemblance  to  the  Night  "Hawk's"  ordinary  cry.  Their 
song-notes  are  very  characteristic,  and  are  drawly  but  musical. 
They  nearly  resemble  the  syllables  chip-chirr,  sometimes  ex- 
tended to  chip-chee,  chee-chee-chirr,  or  so  varied  as  to  be  a  song. 

In  describing  three  common  birds,  frequently  confused  by 
the  ignorant  or  inexperienced,  namely : — the  Savannah  Finch, 
the  Bay-winged  Bunting,  and  the  Song  Sparrow,  I  have  en- 
deavored to  mark  the  characteristic  differences  so  as  to  render 
their  identification  a  matter  of  no  difficulty.  These  streaked 
species,  as  well  as  their  ground-nesting  relations,  are  often 


200  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

indiscriminately  called  "  Ground  Sparrows ;"  and  likewise  a 
sparrow's  nest  found  in  a  bush  is  referred  to  the  equally  vague 
"  Bush  Sparrow."  One  may  often  hear  it  said  that  "  the 
Ground  Sparrow  sings  charmingly,"  but  whether  this  refers  to 
the  Field,  Song,  or  Bay-winged  Sparrow,  it  is  impossible  to 
say,  though  doubts  are  lessened  if  the  bird  is  described  as 
streaked  beneath.  It  is  to  be  observed  that  the  Savannah 
Sparrows  (with  generally  dull  tints)  are  most  common  near  the 
sea,  often  frequenting  marshes,  and,  like  the  Yellow-winged 
Sparrows  (unstreaked  beneath)  who  have  a  preference  for  dry 
and  sandy  fields,  are  quaintly  but  not  sweetly  musical.  The 
Song  Sparrows  (with  generally  bright  tints)  to  a  certain  extent, 
as  the  Swamp  Sparrows  (unstreaked  beneath)  do  exclusively, 
pass  their  time  in  swamps  and  meadows,  and  are  both  sweet 
musicians,  as  the  Bay-winged  Buntings,  characterized  by  their 
conspicuously  white  outer  tail-feathers,  also  are.  The  little 
"  Chippers  "  and  Field  Sparrows  (unlike  the  above  mentioned 
"  Yellow-wings  ")  are  brightly  tinted  above,  and  (like  them) 
unstreaked  below,  the  former  having  the  breast  light  gray,  the 
other  pale  brown  or  buff.  The  former  is  often  found  in  the 
immediate  neighborhood  of  man,  and  is  unmusical,  but  the 
latter  sings  most  charmingly  from  the  fields,  pastures,  and 
bushy  "  scrub,"  which  he  is  ever  in.  The  little  streaked  female 
of  the  Purple  Finch,  a  mellow  warbler,  should  be  kept  distinct, 
as  should  the  Lincoln's  and  the  Henslow's  Sparrows,  who  are, 
however,  very  rare  in  Massachusetts,  especially  the  Lincoln's 
Finch. 


XII.   POOCETES 

(A)  GRAMINEUS.  "Grass  Finch"  Bay-winged  Bunting.  Bay- 
winged  Sparrow.  Vesper  Sparrow. 

(A  common  resident  in  New  England,  except  in  the  winter- 
season.) 

(a) .  About  six  inches  long.  A  patch  on  the  wing  (the  lesser 
covert),  chestnut.  The  outer  tail-feathers,  white.  Above,  gray- 
ish-brown, darkly  streaked,  most  finely  on  the  crown,  which  is 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND. 


201 


not  divided.  Below,  white  (often  buff-tinged)  ;  breast  and 
sides  streaked  with  brown  or  black.  Wings  marked  with  bay. 
Eye-ring  white. 

(6).  The  nest  is  invariably  placed  on  the  ground,  generally 
in  a  pasture  or  field.  It  is  lined  with  fine  roots,  dried  grasses, 
or  horse-hairs.  In  Massachusetts  two  sets  of  eggs  are  laid, 
one  in  the  last  week  of  May  or  earlier,  and  the  other  a  month 
or  more  later,,  each  containing  four  or  five.  These  average  -80 
X  '60  of  an  inch,  but  exhibit  several  variations  in  coloration. 
One  specimen  before  me  is  white,  irregularly  spotted  and 
blotched  with  a  rather  light  reddish-brown  and  extremely  faint 
lilac,  and  measures  -87  X  '65  of  an  inch.  Another  is  dull  livid 
white,  with  fine  but  almost  invisible  markings  scattered  over 
the  egg,  and  a  few  large  umber-brown  spots,  some  of  which 
are  surmounted  with  black.  These  forms  are  almost  two  ex- 
tremes. A  third  has  scrawls  and  vermiculations  on  it,  and 
there  are  still  others  entirely  distinct  in  character. 

(c).  The  Bay-winged  Buntings,  with  the  exception  of  the 
Song  Sparrows  and  "Chippers,"  and  perhaps  the  Goldfinches, 
are  the  most  abundant  members  of  their  family  to  be  found  in 
New  England,  during  summer.  Though  they  sometimes  reach 
Eastern  Massachusetts  in  March,  they  more  commonly  appear 
in  the  second  or  third  week  of  April,  and  become  plenty  before 
May.  Usually  a  few  only  can  be  found  here  in  November,  the 
majority  returning  to  the  South  in  the  preceding  month.  A 
very  few  may  possibly  spend  the  winter  in  this  State,  but  I 
have  never  known  such  to  be  the  case.  In  early  spring,  they 
are  to  be  found  in  fields,  pastures,  vegetable-gardens,  and 
ploughed  lands,  often  in  association  with  other  species,  or 
gathered  by  themselves.  They  are  not  so  persistent  in  remain- 
ing on  or  near  the  ground  as  the  Savannah  Sparrows  (being 
rather  less  nimble),  are  not  so  much  confined  as  those  birds 
are  to  certain  localities,  and  are  not,  I  think,  usually  so  com- 
mon near  the  sea- shore  as  in  the  interior.  They  have,  how- 
ever, a  much  more  limited  distribution,  being  found  in  summer 
neither  so  far  to  the  northward  or  southward. 

The  so-called  Grass  Finches,  though  they  spend  much  of  their 


202  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

time  on  the  ground,  often  alight  on  the  ridge-poles  of  barns, 
and  on  fences,  or  on  telegraph-wires, —  generally  those  by  the 
roadside,  where  fields  are  near  at  hand.  They  often  venture 
to  the  roads,  where  they  pick  up  food,  and  sometimes  dust 
themselves,  generally  being  undisturbed  by  a  near  approach. 
When  approached  in  the  fields,  they  often  run  ahead,  if  a  per- 
son walks  behind,  occasionally  "  squatting,"  so  to  speak,  as  if 
to  rest.  The  whole  or  partial  whiteness  of  their  outer  tail- 
feathers,  noticeable  as  the  birds  fly,  renders  the  Bay-winged 
Buntings  easily  recognizable.  These  finches  build  their  nests 
in  fields  and  pasture-lands,  usually  produce  their  first  set  of 
eggs  in  the  early  part  of  Ma}^,  and  raise  two  or  even  three 
broods  in  the  course  of  one  summer,  so  that  their  duties  to 
their  }roung  are  often  not  completed  until  August.  In  the  lat- 
ter part  of  that  month,  and  later  in  the  season,  they  are  chiefly 
gregarious,  and,  perhaps  associated  with  Song  or  Savannah 
Sparrows,  frequent  in  large  flocks  the  roadsides,  and  their 
other  feeding-grounds.  Their  flights  are  less  confined  than 
those  of  the  Savannah  Finches,  though  they  are  not  much  on 
the  wing.  They  are,  however,  bolder  than  those  birds,  though 
like  them  they  avoid  to  a  certain  extent  the  neighborhood  of 
houses. 

(d).  The  song  of  the  Bay-winged  Buntings  is  quite  loud 
and  clear,  and  resembles  that  of  the  Song  Sparrow,  but  is  en- 
tirely distinct,  and  rather  sweeter  though  less  lively.  It  often 
may  be  heard  in  the  heat  of  a  summer-noon,  but  is  more  often 
repeated  towards  dusk,  whence  the  name  of  "Vesper  Sparrow." 
It  is  my  impression  that  I  have  heard  it  once  or  twice  at  night, 
and  I  have  certainly  heard  it  in  October.  Their  ordinary  note, 
a  chip,  is  in  no  way  characteristic. 

XIII.   MELOSPIZA 

(A)    MELODIA.     Song  Sparrow. 

(A  resident  in  Massachusetts  throughout  the  year.  In  sum- 
mer very  abundant  in  all  the  New  England  States.) 

(a).  5|— 6^-  inches  long.  (Head-markings,  never  prominent, 
are  as  follows  :  —  crown  bay,  fiuety  streaked  with  black  ;  me- 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  203 

dian  and  superciliary  stripes,  impure  white ;  side-markings 
often  vague).  Inter  scapulars,  bright  reddish-brown  (or  "bay"), 
pale-edged,  and  black-streaked.  Tail  brown,  sometimes  faintly 
barred.  (Rump,  brown  with  a  few  markings.)  Under  parts, 
white  (shaded  with  brown  behind),  with  black  streaks,  brown- 
edged,  on  the  breast  and  sides,  generally  coalescing  into  a 
conspicuous  blotch  on  the  former  (and  into  maxillary  stripes). 
Wings  in  no  contrast  to  the  back. 

(b).  The  nest  is  composed  of  dried  leaves,  stalks,  grasses 
and  the  like,  and  is  often  bulk}7.  The  lining  consists  of  finer 
materials  of  the  same  sort,  or  of  horse-hairs.  The  nest  is 
most  often  placed  upon  the  ground  in  fields  and  pastures,  fre- 
quently under  shelter  of  a  bush  or  tussock  ;  less  commonly  in 
bushes  and  thickets  on  or  near  meadows,  or  in  shrubbery  and 
hedges  near  houses.  Wilson  speaks  of  one  found  in  a  cedar- 
tree,  five  or  six  feet  from  the  ground  ;  and  I  have  seen  or  heard 
of  several  peculiar  specimens,  such  as  one  built  in  a  broken 
jar.  The  eggs  vary  considerably  in  size,  and  greatly  in  colora- 
tion, often  resembling  those  of  other  species.  In  Eastern 
Massachusetts  two  or  three  sets  of  four  or  five  (rarely  six)  are 
usually  laid  in  the  course  of  the  season,  the  first  appearing 
about  the  first  of  May,  or  even  earlier,  when  snow  is  on  the 
ground.  Several  different  specimens  are  now  before  me.  The 
first  measures  -85  X  ' 60  of  an  inch,  and  is  dull  white  (perhaps 
green-tinged),  faintly  but  thickly  blotched  with  a  purple-tinged 
brown.  The  second  is  elliptical,  measuring  *78  X  '60  of  an 
inch,  and  is  dull  white,  thickly  but  irregularly  marked  with  the 
same  purple-tinged  brown  of  a  somewhat  darker  shade,  and 
with  traces  of  lilac.  The  third  is  almost  elliptical,  measures  -80 
X  "58  of  an  inch,  and  is  marked  thickly  but  finely  with  brown 
and  lilac.  The  fourth  measures  -78  X  "55  of  an  inch,  and  is 
white,  tinged  with  greenish  gray,  and  minutely  marked  with 
sandy  brown,  a  little  lilac,  and  one  or  two  black  scrawls  near 
the  crown.  The  fifth  is  light  blue,  greenish- tinged,  finely 
marked  and  also  irregularly  blotched,  chiefly  at  the  crown, 
with  Vandyke-brown  and  a  little  lilac,  and  measures  *78  X  "58 
of  an  inch.  The  sixth  measures  -77  X  '55  of  an  inch,  and  is 


204  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

of  a  light  but  bright  greenish  blue,  chiefly  marked  by  cloudings 
of  Vandyke-brown  (in  some  places  umber)  and  lilac,  grouped 
in  an  irregular  ring  about  the  larger  end.  A  seventh  resem- 
bles strongly  the  ordinary  egg  of  the  Swamp  Sparrow,  and 
another  is  dull  white,  with  markings  so  feeble  as  to  be  almost 
invisible.  Still  other  forms  exist,  with  various  combinations, 
to  detail  all  of  which  would  be  impossible. 

(c).  On  winter-days  one  may  sometimes  see  certain  small 
birds,  skulking  from  thicket  to  thicket  in  the  swamps,  or  other 
cheerless  places,  occasionally  hopping  on  the  ground  to  pick  up 
the  seeds  which  have  fallen  from  the  weeds  upon  the  snow,  now 
and  then  emitting  a  rather  melancholy  note  ;  and  these  are  the 
Song  Sparrows,  for  a  few  always  pass  the  winter  in  Eastern 
Massachusetts,  though  strange  to  say  much  less  common,  at 
least  in  one  township,  during  the  past  very  mild  winter  than  in 
the  preceding  one,  an  extraordinarily  severe  season.  This 
was  also  the  case  with  the  Robins.  Besides  having  seen  the 
Song  Sparrows,  I  have  also  heard  their  song  near  Boston, 
in  every  month  of  the  year,64  but  in  winter  they  are  rare. 
About  the  middle  of  March  they  first  practise  their  spring 
carols ;  and  those  who  have  passed  the  colder  weather  in  the 
South  then  return  to  their  spring-haunts.  During  the  latter 
part  of  March  and  early  April  they  are  extremely  abundant, 
particularly  in  swamps  and  about  vegetable-gardens,  and  in 
those  places  associate  with  other  species,  especially  the  Fox- 
colored  Sparrows.  They  also  become  less  shy  than  they  are 
in  winter,  and  some,  to  a  certain  extent,  frequent  shrubbery 
about  houses,  where,  .however,  I  have  known  one  to  remain 
throughout  the  year.  Wherever  they  may  be,  at  this  season, 
they  are  in  full  song,  and  their  haunts  resound  with  the  confu- 
sion of  a  hundred  melodies  poured  out  by  these  birds  and  their 
associates.  Though  the  Song  Sparrows  cannot  properly  be 
called  gregarious,  yet  in  spring  they  often  collect  in  large 


64 Mr.  Maynard  also  says  (in  "The  Naturalist's  Guide,"  p.  118) :— " Mr. Brewster 
informs  me  that  he  has  taken  it  (i.  e.  the  Song  Sparrow)  every  month  in  the  year; 
has  even  heard  it  sing  in  January." 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  205 

numbers  at  their  feeding-grounds ;  but  gradually  many  leave 
us  to  pass  the  summer  in  a  more  northern  country,  and  others 
begin  to  build  their  nests  here.  During  the  breeding-season 
they  occupy  the  neighborhood  of  these  nests,  the  various  situ- 
ations- of  which  have  already  been  mentioned.  In  many  locali- 
ties, other  than  those  in  which  I  have  made  my  own  observa- 
tions, such  as  the  fields  and  pasture-lands  of  the  interior,  and 
those  of  New  Hampshire  or  Maine,  they  perhaps  pass  the 
spring  as  they  do  the  summer,  in  those  fields  and  their  imme- 
diate surroundings.  In  such  places  they  are  probably  in  the 
former  season  less  common  and  less  gregarious  than  ;n  the ' 
country  previously  described.  As  they  raise  two  or  three  . 
broods  every  year,  it  is  not  until  August  (or  a  little  earlier) 
that  they  are  freed  from  their  household  cares.  Like  several 
other  birds,  they  divide  the  labors  of  rearing  their  young,  and 
the  males,  while  their  mates  rear  one  brood,  often  build  the 
nest  for  another,  and  are  busied  until  summer  is  well  advanced. 
Later  in  the  }7ear  they  collect  at  their  feeding-grounds,  but  not 
so  abundantly  as  in  the  spring,  since  the  fall-migrations  of  this 
species  extend  through  a  greater  length  of  time  than  the  oth- 
ers. During  the  former  the  Song  Sparrows  are  most  common 
throughout  a  part  of  September  and  October,  and  associate 
with  various  other  finches,  rather  preferring,  at  this  season,  dry 
grounds  to  the  swamps.  It  is  impossible,  however,  to  exactly 
define  the  nature  of  the  places  in  which  they  may  then  be 
usually  found.  After  the  middle  of  October,  they  appear  and 
disappear  until  only  those  are  left  who  pass  the  winter  with 
us.  At  all  times  of  the  year,  except  during  the  mating-season, 
they  are  rather  shy,  and,  when  startled,  almost  invariably  dive 
into  some  near  brush-heap  or  thicket,  where  they  are  well 
concealed.  They  commonly  prefer  the  neighborhood  of  the 
ground,  running  quite  nimbly  on  it,  but  much  more  often  perch 
in  trees,  even  at  a  considerable  height,  than  is  commonly  sup- 
posed. They  have  a  gently  undulating  flight,  flying  low  and 
never  very  far. 

In  summer  they  are  to  be  found  throughout  a  greater  part 
of  northern  North  America,  even  so  far  to  the  southward  as 


t 

206  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

the  Gulf  of  Mexico  (though  in  the  West  represented  by  several 
varieties),  being  abundant  and  well  known  in  almost  all  parts 
of  New  England  ;  and,  indeed,  in  a  majority  of  places  they  are, 
with  the  exception  of  the  Chipping  Sparrows,  the  most  com- 
mon of  all  the  finches.  It  is  impossible  to  define  accurately 
all  their  haunts,  since  these  vary  according  to  the  nature  of 
the  country,  and  somewhat  according  to  the  seasons  ;  but  their 
haunts,  and  moreover  all  those  minor  habits  which  have  not 
been  fully  detailed,  may  easily  be  learned  by  the  ornithological 
experience  of  one  or  two  years. 

(d).f  The  song  of  the  Song  Sparrow  is  sweet,  lively,  and 
poured  out  with  an  energy  which  doubles  its  charm.  It  has 
several  variations,  which  might  excusably  be  attributed  to  two 
or  three  species ;  but  the  one  most  often  heard  is  that  which 
they  give  utterance  to  in  the  spring.  This  is  an  indescribable 
song,  characteristic  of  itself.  It  usually  begins  with  a  thrice 
repeated  note,  followed  by  the  sprightly  part  of  the  music, 
concluding  with  another  note,  which,  like  the  first,  is  often 
tripled.65  The  Song  Sparrows  have  also  eccentric  music,  pecu- 
liar to  the  mating-season,  and  in  autumn  often  soliloquize. 
In  the  earlier  part  of  spring  they  sing  most  loudly,  in  summer 
they  are  much  less  often  heard  ;  in  fall  they  sing  unfrequently, 
and  in  winter  seldom.  Occasionally  they  pour  out  their  music, 
when  dropping  to  the  ground  from  some  perch  above  the  fields, 
with  wings  outstretched.  Their  ordinary  notes  are  a  charac- 
teristic, sharp  chuck,  or  "  hoarse  clieep"  as  it  variously  sounds, 
and  a  chip,  less  often  heard,  which  resembles  that  of  several 
other  sparrows. 

The  Song  Sparrows,  regarding  man's  so-called  "interests," 
are  neutral,  feeding  principally  upon  seeds  or  small  berries, 
but  with  those  who  know  them  are  justly  favorites,  particularly 
on  account  of  their  sprightly  song,  which,  if  we  except  the 
Blue  Birds'  note,  is  the  first  to  be  heard  in  spring. 


es  See  account  of  the  Red-winged  Blackbird's  notes  (§14,  IV,  A, 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  -207 


(B)    LINCOLNI.     Lincoln's  Finch.     Lincoln's  Sparrow. 

(Of  great  rarity  in  Massachusetts,  occurring  as  a  summer- 
resident.) 

(a).  5^-  inches  long.  Below,  white ;  dusky-streaked,  except 
on  the  belly.  Breast  band  (and  side-shading),  brownisli-yelloiv. 
Above,  grayish-brown  ;  crown  and  back  streaked  with  blackish, 
brownish,  and  paler  ;  tail  scarcely  marked.  Wings  with  some 
bay  and  white.  (Abridged  from  Cones.) 

(6).  The  nests  hitherto  found  have  all  been  placed  upon  the 
ground.  An  egg  in  my  collection  measures  about  -75 X  '55  of  an 
inch,  and  is  light  green,  finely  blotched  all  over  with  a  medium 
brown,  which  is  purple-tinged.  Dr.  Brewer  describes  others, 
having  "a  pale  greenish-white  ground,"  "thickly  marked  with 
dots  and  small  blotches  of  a  ferruginous-brown,"  etc. 

(c).  The  Lincoln's  Finches  are  very  rare  in  Massachusetts, 
a  few  specimens  only  having  been  hitherto  obtained  in  this 
State.  Their  summer-habitat  is  an  extensive  one, —  "the 
United  States  from  Atlantic  to  Pacific," — including  the  North, 
for  they  were  "first  met  with  by  Mr.  Audubon  in  Labrador." 
As  I  have  seen  them  but  once,  my  brief  description  of  their 
habits  is  gathered  from  Dr.  Brewer's  account  of  them.66  The 
Lincoln's  Finch  is  allied  in  habits  to  the  Song  Sparrow,  singing 
4 'for  whole  hours  at  a  time "  from  the  top  of  some  shrub,  often 
diving  into  thickets,  and,  when  frightened,  flying  "  low  and 
rapidly  to  a  considerable  distance"  (as  the  Song  Sparrow  does 
not)  "jerking  its  tail  as  it  proceeds,  and  throwing  itself  into 
the  thickest  bush  it  meets."  Audubon  found  the  Lincoln's 
Sparrows  chiefly  near  streams  ;  and  apparently  these  birds  are 
often  gregarious,  at  least  during  the  migrations. 

(d).  Their  song  is  said  to  be  a  fine-  one,  and  is  described 
1 '  as  composed  of  the  notes  of  a  Canary  and  a  Woodlark  of 
Europe."  They  have  also  a  "  chuck." 


66  My  biography  of  this  species  was  written  before  I  had  access  to  the  worka  of 
Audubon. 


208    '  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

(C)   PALUSTRIS.     Swamp  Sparroiu. 

(In  Massachusetts,  on  the  whole,  a  common  summer-resi- 
dent.) 

(a).  5J--6  inches  long.  Crown,  bay  (in  $  in  autumn  and 
$,  black-streaked,  and  divided  by  a  light  line).  Forehead 
("and  nuchal  patch"?),  often  black.  (Side-markings  on  the 
head  not  prominent.)  Side  of  head,  and  the  breast,  warm  gray 
or  "  ash."  Latter  sometimes  marked  with  obsolete  streaks, 
which  become  more  distinct  on  the  sides  (which  are  often 
brown- washed).  Chin  and  belly,  almost  white.  Interscapulars, 
bay,  boldly  black- streaked  (and  pale-edged).  Rump  the  same. 
Tail  not  strongly  marked  ;  wings  much  edged  with  bay. 

(6).  The  nest  is  placed  in  swamps,  and  on  or  near  meadows, 
usually  in  a  tussock  of  grass,  but  sometimes  in  a  low  bush. 
It  is  much  like  that  of  the  Song  Sparrow,  and  is  finished  about 
the  middle  of  May.  The  eggs  of  each  set,  two  sets  being 
often  laid  in  the  season,  are  four  or  five,  and  average  about  *80 
X  '60  of  an  inch.  They  are  white,  tinged  with  gray,  green, 
or  blue,  finely  marked  with  brown  (and  lilac),  and  irregularly 
blotched  or  even  splashed,  usually  more  thickly  about  the 
crown  than  elsewhere,  with  two  or  three  shades  of  a  brown, 
varying  in  tint  from  sandy-brown  to  umber.  I  have  seen  eggs, 
both  of  the  Song  and  Tree  Sparrows,  very  closely  resembling 
them. 

(c).  There  are  few  things  more  charming  in  Nature  than 
her  first  music  in  spring ;  and  the  simple  chant  of  the  Song 
Sparrow  in  March  makes  the  heart  gladder  than  the  melody  of 
the  Wood  Thrush  in  June.  Yet  the  cheerful  song  of  the 
former,  when  first  heard  to  ring  through  the  meadows,  inspires 
but  delusive  hopes  of  spring,  and  it  is  therefore  that  the  sweet 
but  more  modest  notes  of  the  Swamp  Sparrow,  heard  later, 
may  afford  to  those  who  hear  them  a  more  lasting  pleasure. 
But  this  bird  is  unfortunately  almost  unknown  except  to  the 
student  of  birds,  owing  to  his  continual  residence  in  swamps, 
meadow-thickets,  or  even  marshes,  his  rareness  in  many  places, 
and  above  all  his  shyness.  It  is,  therefore,  with  pleasure  that 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  209 

I  shall  endeavor,  so  far  as  possible,  to  introduce  him  to  my 
readers. 

The  Swamp  Sparrows  are  locally  common  throughout  New 
England,  but  most  so  to  the  southward  and  eastward.  They 
reach  the  neighborhood  of  Boston  in  the  earlier  part  of  April, 
and  remain  there  until  October  or  even  November.  They 
inhabit  exclusively  wet  lands,  chiefly  those  which  are  rather 
secluded,  or  which  contain  bushes  and  the  like.  They  are 
shy,  and  it  is  almost  impossible  to  study  their  habits  except  by 
penetrating  their  haunts  and  resting  there  motionless.  They 
may  be  there  observed  to  move  from  bush  to  bush,  but  not 
"  jerking  their  tails  as  they  fly,"  or  to  run  quite  nimbly  on  the 
ground,  where  they  find  much  of  their  food,  which  consists  of 
seeds,  berries,  and  insects.  They  are  not  so  collective  as  the 
Song  Sparrows  often  are,  nor  have  I  often  seen  them  perched 
in  trees.  On  the  contrary,  they  are  very  terrestrial,  often 
scratching  like  the  Fox  Sparrows,  or  wading  in  shallow  water. 

(d).  The  Swamp  Sparrows  excel  all  our  other  finches  in  the 
variety  of  their  distinct  notes,  and  on  this  score  are  perhaps 
to  be  ranked  as  the  first  musicians  of  their  family.  Of  these 
notes  their  mellow  chuck,  their  harsh  scold,  and  their  song,  bear 
a  strong  resemblance  to  the  corresponding  notes  of  the  Cat- 
bird. This  song  is  much  less  pleasing  than  the  sweet,  clear 
trill,  much  like  that  of  the  Pine  Warbler  or  Snow-bird,  which 
generally  replaces  it  in  spring,  or  their  low  warble  occasionally 
to  be  heard  in  autumn.  They  have  also  a  soft  chip,  a  queru- 
lous note,  and  certain  expressive  twitters.  Like  the  Song  Spar- 
rows, who  sing  chiefly  in  the  early  morning  and  at  dusk,  they 
keep  comparatively  late  hours,  and  often  do  not  retire  until  it 
is  almost  dark.  I  remember  to  have  seen  one  at  evening  in 
the  eccentric  expression  of  his  passion  during  the  season  of 
love,  dart  from  a  thicket,  mount  in  the  air,  and  take  quite  a 
rapid,  circuitous  flight,  continually  uttering  a  fine,  steady  trill, 
until,  having  returned  to  the  thicket,  he  dived  into  it,  ejacula- 
ting a  few  broken  musical  notes,  after  which  all  was  still.  Song 
with  birds  is  often  a  passion,  or  the  effect  of  one,  and  the  chaf- 
finches in  France  are  said,  when  caged,  and  placed  as  rivals 
15 


210  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

near  one  another,  to  sing  until  one  finally  succumbs,  often 
falling  dead  on  the  floor  of  his  cage ! 

XIV.   SPIZELLA 

(A)  SOCIALIS.  Chipping  Sparrow.  "Chipper."  Etc.  "Hair- 
bird" 

(A  very  common  summer-resident  in  Massachusetts,  and 
almost  throughout  the  United  States.) 

(a).  About  5£  inches  long.  Crown,  chestnut;  forehead, 
black  (former  in  <?  often  black- streaked).  Interscapulars,  red- 
dish-brown, edged  with  paler  and  black-streaked.  Rump,  ashy 
(slightly  streaked  ?).  Tail  forked,  and  dusky  with  pale  edgings. 
Superciliary  line,  light ;  eye-stripe,  dark.  Under  parts,  white  ; 
lower  throat  and  breast,  very  light  warm  gray  (=  "pale  ash"). 
Two  narrow  white  bars  on  the  wings,  which  otherwise  accord 
with  the  back  and  tail.  (Bill  black,  occasionally  paler  ;  never 
reddish  as  in  pusillus.) 

(b).  The  nest  is  almost  invariably  composed  of  fine  rootlets 
(occasionally — in  pastures — of  straw,  and  therefore  compara- 
tively bulky),  and  is  lined  with  horse-hairs,  whence  the  name 
"  Hair-bird."  I  have  one  made  entirely  of  white  hairs,  and 
strikingly  different  from  all  other  specimens  of  bird-architec- 
ture. The  nest  is  usually  placed,  not  far  from  the  ground,67 
in  shrubbery  near  houses,  in  piazza-vines,  or  in  cedar-trees  — 
particularly  those  in  pastures ;  also  not  infrequently  in  pines 
or  orchard-trees,  and  less  often  in  shade-trees.  The  eggs  aver- 
age *68  X  '48  of  an  inch,  and  are  light  but  bright  bluish-green, 
with  dark  purplish  and  black  markings,  which  form  a  ring 
about  the  large  end  (and  are  rarely  like  the  scrawls  on  the 
eggs  of  the  blackbirds,  §  17,  IV).  In  Massachusetts,  two  sets 
of  four^or  five  are  usually  laid  every  year,  the  first  of  which 
commonly  appears  about  the  first  of  June. 

(c) .  The  Chipping  Sparrows  are  the  most  familiar  and  abun- 
dant summer-residents  in  Massachusetts,  of  all  the  numerous 
finches.  They  reach  the  neighborhood  of  Boston  about  the 

87  In  a  few  exceptional  cases  it  has  been  found  upon  it. 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  211 

twentieth  of  April,  but  are  not  at  that  season  gregarious,  and 
about  the  first  of  May  become  abundant,  soon  afterwards  be- 
ginning to  build  their  nests.  They  inhabit  more  or  less  pas- 
ture-land, but  particularly  affect  the  neighborhood  of  man  — 
to  such  a  degree  that  they  were  formerly  abundant  on  Boston 
Common,  though  they  have  lately  been  somewhat  supplanted 
by  the  English  sparrows.  They  frequent  lawns,  orchards, 
gardens,  the  neighborhood  of  houses,  and  public  ways.  They 
often  obtain  on  the  roadsides  the  small  seeds  which  constitute 
a  part  of  their  food,  and,  when  so  doing,  are  rarely  disturbed 
by  the  approach  of  man.  They  feed  also  very  largely  in  sum- 
mer upon  small  caterpillars,  inclusive  of  the  dreaded  canker- 
worms,  and  are  thus  beneficial  to  man.  Towards  one  another 
they  are  rather  pugnacious,  but  perhaps  playfully  so.  Their 
flight,  never  a  long  one,  is  in  no  way  peculiar.  They  often 
perch  upon  fences,  and  sometimes  between  two  narrowly  sep- 
arated pickets,  which  well  illustrates  their  littleness.  They 
rarely  perch  or  fly  at  any  great  height  from  the  ground,  and 
indeed  are  not  commonly  to  be  seen  in  tall  trees,  unless  in  the 
lower  branches,  for  instance  of  the  pines,  in  which  they  often 
build  their  nests.  There  is  hardly  a  populated  district  of 
Massachusetts  where  they  are  not  common,  but  to  the  north- 
ward of  that  State  they  gradually  become  rarer,  though  in  sum- 
mer found  in  Arctic  countries.  In  Northern  New  Hampshire, 
they  are  not  very  numerous,  and  they  there  collect  in  small 
flocks  so  early  as  August.  In  Massachusetts  they  congregate 
in  September,  sometimes  to  the  number  of  a  hundred,  but  do 
not  associate  much  with  other  species.  They  disappear  in  the 
early  part  of  October,  and  retire  to  pass  the  winter  in  the 
South.  Before  their  departure  they  frequent  the  roadsides,  or 
vegetable-gardens,  where  they  can  obtain  abundant  food,  and 
may  often  be  seen  to  pursue  one  another,  uttering  their  rather 
weak  battle-cries. 

(d).  Their  ordinary  note  is  a  single  chip,  like  that  of  the 
Tree  Sparrow.  But  the  "Chippers  "  also  possess  a  variety  of 
combined  chips,  and  a  series  of  querulous  twitters,  which  they 
employ  as  a  battle-cry.  Their  nearest  approach  to  a  song  is 


212  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

a  long,  dry-toned,  unmusical  trill,  which,  from  their  perch  on 
fence  or  tree,  they  often  repeat  during  the  breeding-season  and 
summer.  These  trills  have  several  variations,  which  are  some- 
times combined,  one  with  a  rising  inflection  being  followed  by 
a  more  open  one  with  a  reverse  inflection.  It  is  said  that  in- 
dividuals have  actually  been  known  to  sing,  and  very  sweetly, 
but  such  cases  are  wholly  exceptional,  "  et  lusus  naturae." 

The  Chipping  Sparrows  are  "  so  tame  as  to  be  fed  with 
crumbs  from  the  table,"  so  fearless  of  man  as  to  be  much  fa- 
vored by  him,  and  so  common  that  they  may  eventually  become 
as  intimate  in  our  households  as  certain  birds  of  Europe  are  in 
those  of  their  country. 

(B)   MONTICOLA.     Tree  Sparrow.68     "Arctic  Chipper." 

(In  Massachusetts,  a  winter-resident,  generally  quite  com- 
mon and  regular  in  appearance.) 

(a).  About  six  inches  long.  ("Bill  black  above,  yellow 
below.")  Crown,  chestnut,  in  winter  slightly  marked.  Super- 
ciliary line,  dull  white;  eye-stripe  (and  maxillary  line),  dark. 
Interscapulars,  bright  bay,  pale-edged,  and  black-streaked. 
Rump  unmarked;  tail,  dusky  ("black")  with  white  edgings. 
Under  parts,  white.  Sides  of  head,  lower  throat,  and  upper 
breast,  ashy-tinted;  the  letter  with  a  dark  central  blotch.  Sides, 
however,  and  rarely  the  whole  under  parts,  brown-washed  or 
buffy.  Two  conspicuous  wing-bars,  white ;  part  of  the  wing 
black.  Wings  otherwise  as  in  socialis,  "  in  keeping  with"  the 
back. 

(&).  The  Tree  Sparrows  breed  in  Arctic  countries  only. 
Their  eggs  are  strikingly  like  those  of  the  Swamp  Sparrow 
and  allied  species  (XIII,  C),  exhibiting  some  variation.  A 
specimen  before  me  measures  about  -77  X  *55  of  an  inch,  and 
is  of  a  faint  and  vague  blue  or  green,  finely  marked  with  brown 
all  over,  clouded  with  umber-brown  about  the  crown,  and 
splashed  in  one  or  two  places  with  a  pale  and  peculiar  tint  of 
the  same  color.  Dr.  Brewer  says  that  the  eggs  "measure 

es  Not  to  be  confused  with  the  English  Tree  Sparrow  (XXV). 


OF   NEW  ENGLAND.  213 

•85-X  *63  of  an  inch."     "Their  ground-color  is  a  light  green," 
"  freckled  \^th  minute  markings  of  a  foxy  brown." 

(c).  With  the  exception  of  the  Snow-birds,  the  Tree  Spar- 
rows are  the  most  regular  in  appearance  of  all  the  finches  who 
visit  us  in  winter,  but  who  pass  the  summer  in  a  colder  climate. 
They  are,  moreover,  more  or  less  common  during  their  spring 
(and  fall)  migrations.  They  first  make  their  appearance  in 
Eastern  Massachusetts  in  the  last  week  of  October,  or  the 
first  of  November,  but  many  are  then  on  their  way  to  the 
South.  In  the  last  part  of  the  latter  month  they  become. com- 
mon, and  continue  to  reside  here  throughout  the  winter.  They 
usually  go  about  in  small  flocks,  sometimes,  however,  in  pairs 
or  singly,  but,  when  such  is  the  case,  several  may  usually  be 
found  in  the  same  immediate  neighborhood.  They  feed  en- 
tirely (?)  upon  various  seeds,  and  consequently  spend  their 
time  mostly  in  fields  where  the  weeds  are  not  entirely  covered 
by  the  snow, — in  vegetable-gardens  where  the  stubble  of  the 
summer's  crop,  or  the  withered  asparagus-stalks,  furnish  them 
with  food, — or  in  the  roads  and  on  the  roadsides.  When  on 
the  ground,  the  Tree  Sparrows  are  quite  nimble,  which  is  highly 
consistent  with  their  mode  of  life,  since  they  generally  feed 
when  on  the  ground  itself,  though  they  sometimes  perch  upon 
the  tops  of  weeds,  and  still  more  often  may  be  seen  in  trees, 
frequently  collecting  in  apple-trees.  They  prefer  open  grounds, 
and  rather  avoid  the  neighborhood  of  houses,  though  I  have 
known  one  to  join  Snow-birds  who  were  feeding  on  a  piazza. 
They  are  not  usually  shy,  and,  indeed,  I  have  seen  them  in 
village- streets,  and  have  at  other  times  approached  within  five 
yards  of  them,  when  occupied  in  picking  up  their  food.  When 
frightened,  they  do  not  dive  into  thickets  or  bushes  as  some 
other  sparrows  do.  Their  flight  when  short  is  low,  when  long 
is  high,  but  at  all  times  is  rapid.  The  Tree  Sparrows  do  not 
mingle  much  with  other  species,  but  seem  to  prefer  one  anoth- 
er's society,  generally  living  in  peace,  though  occasionally  an 
unpleasantness  takes  place,  when  a  brief  combat  ensues.  In 
April  they  return  to  the  North,  but  those  who  have  passed  the 
winter  further  to  the  southward  than  Massachusetts  return  at 


214  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

this  season,  sometimes  lingering  here  until  the  second  week  of 
May.69  These  spring-migrants  associate  somewhaj  with  other 
birds,  and  are,  moreover,  rather  more  shy  than  those  who  have 
been  winter-visitors  in  the  same  neighborhood.  I  have  occa- 
sionally seen  them  in  the  "  scrub,"  when  they  were  quite  wild 
and  quickly  took  to  flight  on  a  near  approach. . 

(d).  The  ordinary  note  of  the  Tree  Sparrows  is  a  chip,  which 
is  more  or  less  characteristic,  and  yet  resembles  that  of  the 
Chipping  Sparrow.  When  they  fight,  these  birds  utter  queru- 
lous but  still  musical  twitters,  which  recall  their  own  song, 
rather  than  any  of  the  Chipper's  notes.  The  following  passage 
is  a  quotation  from  Dr.  Brewer's  account  of  the  Tree  Spar- 
rows, and  describes  their  music  as  fully  as  it  would  be  possible 
for  me  to  do  :  "  *  *  *  during  November,  the  marshes  of  Fresh 
Pond,70  are  filled  with  them,  when  their  wailing  autumnal 
chant  is  in  marked  contrast  with  the  sweet  and  lively  song, 
with  which  they  enliven  the  spring,  just  before  they  are  about 
to  depart  for  their  summer  homes."  "  In  regard  to  their  song, 
Mr.  William  Brewster  informs  me  that  they  usually  commence 
singing  about  the  25th  of  March.  Their  song  is  a  loud,  clear, 
and  powerful  chant,  starting  with  two  high  notes,  then  falling 
rapidly  and  ending  with  a  low,  sweet  warble.  He  has  heard  a 
few  singing  with  their  full  vigor  in  November  and  December, 
but  this  is  rare."  u  During  the  love-season,  the  Tree  Sparrow 
is  quite  a  fine  musician,  its  song  resembling  that  of  the  Canary, 
but  finer,  sweeter,  and  not  so  loud.  In  their  migrations,  Mr. 
Audubon  states,  a  flock  of  twenty  or  more  will  perch  upon  the 
same  tree,  and  join  in  a  delightful  chorus.  Their  flight  is  ele- 
vated and  graceful,  and  in  waving  undulations."  Just  before 
their  departure  the  Tree  Sparrows,  when  in  flocks  and  feeding 
on  the  ground,  often  produce  an  agreeable  chorus,  though  at 
other  times  simply  twitters.  Occasionally  in  winter  an  indi- 
vidual emits  a  few  musical  notes. 

From  my  acquaintance  with  the  Tree  Sparrows,  I  have  almost 


89  They  must  not  then  be  confused  with  the  Chipping  Sparrows.    (A.) 
70  At  Cambridge. 


OF    NEW    ENGLAND.  215 

involuntarily  learned  to  associate  them  with  a  winter's  after- 
noon drawing  to  its  close,  a  clear  sunset,  with  perhaps  dark 
clouds  above,  and  a  rising  north-west  wind,  which  sweeps 
across  the  fields,  to  warn  us  of  to-morrow's  cold.  The  almost 
mournful  chip  of  these  birds,  as  they  fly  to  their  nightly  rest, 
has  always  seemed  to  me  a  fitting  accompaniment  for  such  a 
scene. 

(C)   PUSILLUS.     Field  Sparrow. 

(A  common  summer-resident  in  Massachusetts,  frequenting 
pasture-lands  and  the  "scrub.") 

(a).  5£  inches  long.  ("  Bill  pale  reddish.")  Crown,  rufous- 
red.  Sides  of  the  head  vaguely  marked.  Interscapulars,  bright 
ba}T,  black-streaked,  with  pale  edging  (or  rarely  none).  Rump, 
median,  unmarked.  Tail,  dusk}r-black ;  feathers  pale-edged. 
Wings  (as  in  borealis,  and)  with  two  inconspicuous  white  wing- 
bars.  Beneath,  white  ;  breast  and  sides  distinctly  washed  with 
brown.  (Line  dividing  the  crown,  and  nuchal  patch,  both 
faintly  ashy,  or  wanting.) 

(b).  The  nest  is  placed  on  the  ground  or  in  a  low  bush,  in 
my  own  neighborhood  generally  the  latter,  and  in  a  field,  a 
pasture,  or  the  scrub-land.  When  placed  in  a  bush,  it  is  us- 
ually composed  of  fine  straws,  and  sometimes  fine  twigs  also, 
and  is  occasionally  lined  with  horse-hairs,  which  is  nearly 
always  the  case  when  it  is  on  the  ground.  Each  set  of  eggs, 
two  sets  being  often  laid  in  a  season,  of  which  the  first  appears 
here  in  the  last  week  of  May,  consists  of  four  or  five  eggs, 
which  average  about  '70X'50  of  an  inch,  and  are  white  (gray- 
tinged),  with  scattered  spots  of  tight,  almost  flesh-colored,  red- 
dish-brown, which  are  rarely  so  confluent  as  nearly  to  conceal 
the  ground-color. 

(c).  The  Field  Sparrows,  though  quite  common  here  in  sum- 
mer, are  not  so  generally  well  known  as  they  deserve  to  be. 
Though  found  in  Maine,  New  Hampshire,  and  Vermont,  yet 
Massachusetts  is  the  most  northern  of  the  New  England  States 
in  which  they  are  common.  In  spring  they  come  to  the 
neighborhood  of  Boston  in  the  latter  part  of  April,  at  about 


216  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

the  same  time  as  do  the  Chipping  Sparrows,  like  them  not  col- 
lecting in  flocks  at  this  season  ;  and  about  the  middle  of  May 
they  begin  to  build  their  nests.  Their  usual  haunts,  in  sum- 
mer, are  pastures,  fields  (rather  seldom  those  near  swamps), 
and  the  "scrub."  In  these  places  they  feed  upon  seeds  and 
caterpillars,  and  occasionally,  to  obtain  the  former,  venture  to 
the  roads  and  roadsides.  But  they  are  habitually  much  less 
familiar  towards  man  than  their  near  relations,  the  well  known 
Chipping  Sparrows,  and  lead  a  more  retired  life.  In  Sep- 
tember they  collect  in  flocks,  and  leave  us  before  October  is 
far  advanced.  At  this  time  they  are  bolder  than  before,  and 
associate  somewhat  with  other  species  —  especially  the  "Chip- 
pers"  ;  feeding  on  the  roadsides,  and  in  pastures,  stubble-fields, 
and  vegetable-gardens.  Their  powers  of  flight  are  not  great, 
though  they  are  quite  nimble  on  the  ground,  and  they  do  not 
ordinarily  perch  at  a  greater  height  than  on  fences  or  bushes. 
When  frightened,  they  often  disappear  among  the  latter,  but 
the  female,  when  on  her  nest,  is  often  courageous,  and  permits 
a  near  approach. 

(d).  As  has  just  been  said,  the  Field  Sparrows  occasionally 
remain  on  their  nests  (particularly  when  these  are  in  bushes) , 
until  one  can  see  them  looking  up  with  an  anxious,  appealing 
expression,  which  is  very  charming.  Sometimes,  however,  al- 
most always  when  the  nest  is  on  the  ground,  they  take  to 
flight,  when  one  intrudes  too  boldly,  though  they  at  once  return 
to  the  immediate  neighborhood,  and  express  their  feelings  by 
the  utterance  of  repeated  chips.  Wilson  speaks  of  their  chir- 
ruping, by  which  he  probably  refers  to  their  occasional  twitters, 
but  he  says  that  they  have  no  song.  But  the  Field  Sparrows 
do  sing,  and  very  sweetly,  most  often  in  the  early  morning  and 
towards  evening,  though  also  at  other  times  of  the  day.  Their 
notes  are  sweet  and  very  clear,  and  have  been  likened  to  the 
tinkling  of  a  bell.  They  open  with  a  few  exquisitely  modu- 
lated whistles,  each  higher  and  a  very  little  louder  than  the 
preceding,  and  close  with  a  sweet  trill.  But  they  are  often 
varied;  and,  says  Mr.  Allen,  uthe  songs  of  the  males"  in 
Florida  "  were  so  different  from  those  of  the  northern  bird  that 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  217 

the  species  was  almost  unrecognizable  by  me  from  its  notes." 
The  little  Field  Sparrows,  however,  are  always  charming  sing- 
ers, and  no  sounds  are  more  refreshing,  on  a  warm  afternoon 
of  early  summer,  than  those  which  they  produce. 

XV.     ZONOTRICHIA 

(A)  ALBICOLLIS.  White-throated  Sparrow.  "Peabody-bird." 
11  White-throat." 

(A  common  migrant  through  Massachusetts,  many  breeding 
in  northern  New  England.) 


Fig.  9.    White-throated  Sparrow  (£). 

(a).  6-7  inches  long.  Crown,  to  just  below  the  eyes,  black, 
with  a  median  line  and  superciliary  line  white,  the  latter,  how- 
ever, bright  yellow  from  the  bill  to  the  eye.  Sides  of  the  head, 
ash,  or  warm  gray  ;  breast  and  sides,  lighter.  Throat  and  belly, 
white  (the  latter  being  separated  from  the  ash  of  the  head  by 
a  narrow  black  maxillary  line).  Back,  reddish-brown,  black- 
streaked,  and  feathers  pale-edged.  Rump  and  tail  unmarked  ; 
latter  of  a  vague  grayish  brown,  former  ashy-tinted.  Wings 
with  two  white  bars,  which  are  not  prominent,  and  a  yellow 
edge.  9  »  with  less  pure  and  defined  colors  than  the  male. 

(6).  The  nest  is  built  on  or  near  the  ground,  in  woodland, 
or  sometimes  pastures,  and  generally  resembles  that  of  the 
Snow-bird  or  Song  Sparrow.  The  first  set  of  four  or  five  eggs 


218  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

is  laid  in  New  Hampshire  about  the  first  of  June,  a  second 
often  coming  later.  The  eggs  average  -85  X  '65  of  an  inch, 
and  are  grayish-white,  finely  marked  and  clouded  with  a  dark 
brown.  Paler  types  also  exist,  resembling  some  eggs  of  the 
Song  Sparrow. 

(c).  The  White-throated  Sparrow  is  one  of  the  largest,  hand- 
somest, and  most  charmingly  musical,  of  all  the  New  England 
sparrows.71  These  birds  habitually  pass  the  winter  in  that 
country  which  is  so  often  indefinitely  referred  to  as  "  the 
South ;"  and  I  have  heard  of  but  one  supposed  instance  of 
their  remaining  in  Massachusetts  throughout  the  winter,  which 
instance  came  to  my  notice  (from  an  insufficient  authority)  in 
the  year  1874,  when  another  specimen  was  reported  from  a 
town  near  Boston,  in  the  latter  part  of  July.  The  White- 
throated  Sparrows  usually  come  to  that  neighborhood,  when 
on  their  way  to  their  summer-homes,  about  the  twentieth  of 
April  or  a  few  days  later,  but  in  severe  seasons  not  until  May. 
During  their  stay  here,  which  is  commonty  of  between  one  and 
three  weeks'  duration,  they  spend  their  time  in  stubble-fields, 
roadsides,  cultivated  estates,  and  like  places  (also  rarely  in 
swamps)  ;  associating  somewhat  with  other  finches,  particu- 
larly with  those  who  are  migrating  at  the  same  time  ;  generally 


71  Since  I  have  begun  this  article  with  the  use  of  the  singular  number,  I  will 
here  quote  an  explanation  of  why,  in  ornithological  writings,  it  has  been  objected 
to,  in  reference  to  birds.  "It  necessitates  the  general  use  of  either  the  pronoun 
she  (which  is  not  customary,  except  in  sometimes  speaking  of  a  bird  of  prey),  or 
the  pronoun  he  (which  hardly  generalizes  to  a  sufficient  extent  one's  remarks  when 
applied  to  a  species,  and  which  sometimes  causes  an  unintentional  apparent  dis- 
tinction between  the  male  and  female  or  their  habits),  or  the  pronoun  it,  which  is 
the  worst  of  all.  For  to  speak  of  animated  birds  as  its  and  whiches,  to  any  one 
who  has  studied  them  and  regards  them  as  friends,  is  as  unpleasant  as  it  would 
be  to  hear  an  acquaintance  referred  to  by  the  neuter.  By  the  use  of  the  singular 
better  expressions  can  sometimes  be  formed  than  by  that  of  the  plural,  and  the 
use  of  the  pronouns  he  and  she  is  sometimes  effective  or  necessary,  but,  in  general, 
the  plural  is  preferable  for  obvious  reasons.  The  folloAving  exaggerated  examples 
require  no  explanation.  '  The  Crow  is  black.  He  builds  his  nest  in  pines,  and  Jays 
four  eggs  in  May.'  'The  Robin  is  a  common  bird,  and  she  is  well  known.'  'The 
Goldfinch,  which  is  abundant  here,  is  resident  throughout  the  year.  It  sings  in 
May,  and  lays  its  eggs  in  June,  etc.'  Though  strictly  incorrect,  it  is  allowable  by 
custom  even  to  say :  — '  they  lay  their  eggs  in  June,'  but  the  phu-al  sometimes  is 
certainly  undesirable." 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  219 

being  themselves  in  small  flocks,  though  separate  individuals 
may  now  and  then  be  seen.  They  feed  almost  entirely  upon 
seeds,  which  they  pick  up  from  the  ground,  but  they  are  not 
veiy  quick  in  their  movements.  They  are  rather  shy,  and, 
when  frightened,  usually  fly  to  trees,  not  often  perching  at  a 
greater  height  than  thirty  feet  above  the  ground.  They  are 
not,  however,  so  shy  as  never  to  come  near  houses,  if  they  find 
the  precincts  attractive,  but  they  seem  to  be  most  bashful  when 
they  sing.  Unfortunately  they  do  not  sing  very  much  in 
spring,  and,  indeed,  some  naturalists  have  told  me  that  they 
have  heard  them  utter  here  only  their  ordinary  notes.  In 
summer,  the  "White-throats"  inhabit  northern  New  England 
(or  the  countries  beyond),  as  for  instance  Mount  Desert  or  the 
White  Mountains.  In  both  these  places  they  frequent  the 
woodland,  especially  that  of  "  light  growth,"  or  the  spruce- 
trees,  and  I  have  often  heard  them  there  near  the  tops  of  high 
wooded  hills.  I  say  "  heard  them,"  for  one  rarely  sees  them, 
because  of  their  shyness.  If  I  remember  rightly,  it  is  about 
the  first  of  August  that  they  almost  cease  to  sing ;  and,  as 
autumn  approaches,  they  show  less  attachment  to  their  sum- 
mer-haunts. It  is  in  September  that  they  again  make  their 
appearance  in  Massachusetts,  and,  from  the  middle  of  that 
month  until  the  latter  part  of  October,  they  are  tolerably  com- 
mon, though  a  little  irregularly  so.  In  the  autumn  their  habits 
•are  much  the  same  as  in  the  spring,  but  they  are  rather  less 
gregarious.  I  have  seen  a  solitary  individual  so  late  as  the 
fourteenth  of  November,  and  I  have,  moreover,  occasionally 
heard  these  birds  sing  during  their  fall-migrations. 

(d).  The  ordinary  note  of  the  White-throated  Sparrows  is 
a  rather  feeble  "  tseep"  much  like  that  of  the  Fox-colored  Spar- 
rows, and  indeed  of  other  birds.  Their  song  is  sweet,  clear, 
and  exquisitely  delicate,  consisting  of  whistled  notes,  which 
have  been  likened  to  the  words  : — "  Old  Sam  Peabody,  peabody, 
peabody,  peabody."72  This  song  is  often  somewhat  varied, 

"It  usually  begins  with  a  note  pitched  at  about  D  on  the  piano,  followed  by 
one  higher,  which  is  succeeded  by  several  triplets  (2-5),  each  of  which  is  pitched 
a  little  lower  than  the  preceding.  It  is  sometimes  prefaced  by  a  few  low  twitters. 


220  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

and  again  snatches  or  parts  of  it  are  sometimes  sung.  It  is 
more  often  whistled  in  the  morning  and  at  evening  than  any 
other  times  of  the  day,  and  it  may  be  sometimes  heard  at  night. 
How  often  have  I  listened  to  its  almost  plaintive  tones  in 
the  stillness  and  cool  of  the  New  Hampshire  woods,  and  how 
charmed  have  I  been  to  hear  it  sung  at  night,  as  one  may  some- 
times hear  it  in  the  summer-homes  of  these  attractive  birds. 

(B)   LEUCOPHRYS.     White-crowned  Sparrow. 

(A  generally  rare  migrant  through  New  England,  breeding 
in  the  North.) 

(a).  About  seven  inches  long.  Crown  like  that  of  alUcollis 
(A) ,  but  with  the  median  and  superciliary  lines  much  broader, 
and  meeting  behind.  Rump  and  tail,  and  the  under  parts  also, 
as  in  albicollis,  but  with  the  colors  beneath  less  distinct.  Nape 
and  sides  of  head,  light-colored.  Back  streaked  with  brown 
(z=  "purplish-bay")  and  ashy-white.  Wings  with  two  white 
bars. 

(6).  "Eggs  of  this  species,  from  Wyoming  Territory,  meas- 
ure from  *90  to  '95  of  an  inch  in  length  by  *70  in  breadth,  and 
are  of  an  oblong-oval  shape.  The  ground-color  is  a  light 
greenish- white,  thickly  marked  with  reddish-brown  and  lighter 
markings  of  an  obscure  purplish-brown.  The  intensity,  depth 
of  coloring,  and  size  of  the  darker  brown  markings,  vary. 
They  are  principally  disposed  about  the  larger  end." 

(c).  I  shall  not  here  give  a  detailed  account  of  the  White- 
crowned  Sparrows,  since  they  are  closely  allied  to  the  White- 
throated  Sparrows,  of  whose  habits  and  notes  a  full  description 
has  been  given  in  the  preceding  pages.  They  are  very  rare  in 
Eastern  but  not  so  in  Western  Massachusetts,  through  which 
State  they  pass  about  the  middle  of  May,  and  again  in  Sep- 
tember or  early  October.  It  is  in  spring,  when  traveling  to 
the  land  north  of  the  United  States,  that  they  are  most  com- 
mon. They  do  not  often  mingle  with  the  "White-throats," 
but  often  reach  the  neighborhood  of  Boston  rather  later,  and, 
instead  of  gathering  in  flocks,  usually  go  about  individually  or 
paired.  They  feed  on  the  seeds,  and  perhaps  the  insects,  which 


OF   NEW    ENGLAND.  221 

they  can  obtain  in  swamps,  stubble-fields,  or  on  the  roadsides  ; 
but  they  also  frequent  woodland.  They  are  so  shy  as  to  escape 
general  notice,  the  more  so  from  their  strong  resemblance  to 
the  "  Peabody-birds  "  (Z.  albicollis). 

(d) .  I  have  heard  them  sing  during  their  brief  stay  here  but 
once  or  twice.  Their  song,  and  their  "tseep,"  are  almost 
exactly  like  those  of  the  White-throated  Sparrow,  already 
described. 

XVI.   PASSERELLA 

(A)    ILIACA.     Fox-colored  Sparrow.    Fox  Sparrow. 

(A  common  migrant  through  New  England,  but  never  resi- 
dent there.) 

(a).  About  seven  inches  long.  Above,  bright  rusty-red  or 
fox-color  ;  back  with  large,  and  crown  with  small,  ashy  streaks. 
Wings,  rusty,  with  two  slender  white  bars.  Below,  white; 
marked,  except  on  the  belly,  with  chains  of  rusty  or  fox-colored 
blotches,  which  are  here  and  there  confluent. 

(&).  The  nests  and  eggs,  as  is  the  case  with  many  others 
which  are  not  .to  be  found  in  New  England,  I  must  describe 
through  other  writers.  Dr.  Brewer  says  :  "Their  eggs  measure 
from  -92  to  an  inch  in  length,  and  -70  in  breadth.  They  are 
oblong  in  shape.  Their  ground-color  is  a  light  bluish-white, 
thickly  spotted  with  a  rusty-brown,  often  so  fully  as  to  conceal 
the  ground." 

(c).  The  Fox-colored  Sparrows  are  the  largest  and  most 
strikingly  handsome  of  all  our  sparrows,  and  as  musicians  are 
unsurpassed  by  any  birds  of  that  group.  They  are  among  the 
few  land-birds  that  are  known  to  occur  in  New  England  as 
migrants  only,  passing  the  summer  in  Labrador  and  other  cold 
countries.  While  journeying  to  the  South,  they  are  in  Massa- 
chusetts during  the  latter  part  of  October,  as  well  as  through- 
out the  following  month,  and  I  have  seen  them  here  so  late  as 
the  ninth  of  December.  Though  they  are  then  less  often  found 
in  swamps,  and  do  not  sing,  their  habits  are  otherwise  the 
same  as  in  the  spring.  At  that  season,  on  their  return  to  the 
North,  they  usually  reach  Boston  about  the  middle  of  March, 


222  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

and  are  common  for  a  month  or  so,  a  few  even  lingering  until 
May.  They  frequent  for  the  most  part  swampy  woodland, 
unless  the  water  be  frozen,  though  also  gardens,  stubble-fields, 
the  roadsides,  and  occasionally  the  immediate  neighborhood 
of  houses  (usually,  in  the  last  case,  only  as  individuals).  They 
generally  gather  in  parties  of  from  five  to  twenty,  and  often 
associate  with  other  birds,  such  as  the  Song  Sparrows  or  Snow- 
birds, particularly  the  former.  In  the  early  morning  their 
songs,  when  blended  with  those  of  these  sparrows,  form  a  loud 
and  very  striking,  but  confusing  and  misleading  chorus.  The 
Fox  Sparrows  are  rather  shy,  when  frightened  taking  flight  to 
trees  (especially  the  pines),  but  they  pass  most  of  their  time 
upon  the  ground,  where  they  feed  principally  upon  seeds,  and 
such  morsels  as  they  find  beneath  the  fallen  leaves.  They 
have  a  peculiar  habit  of  scratching  much  like  hens,  and  thus 
turn  over  the  pine-needles,  etc.,  or  rake  the  grass. 

(d).  Their  most  pleasing  characteristic  is  their  song,  which  is 
rich,  full,  loud,  clear,  and  ringing,  though  tinged  with  a  slightly 
mournful  tone.  It  can  be  well  imitated  by  the  human  whistle, 
but  cannot  be  well  described,  owing  to  its  se^ral  variations. 
It  may  often  be  heard  here,  chiefly  in  the  cooler  hours  of  the 
da}'1,  in  March  or  April.  It  is  sometimes  abridged  to  a  sweet 
warble,  to  which  twitters  are  occasionally  added.  The  Fox- 
colored  Sparrows  have  also  a  rather  dreary  lisp  or  "  tseep"  and 
a  loud  chuck,  which  is  more  rarely  heard.  In  my  Journal  is 
the  following  anecdote  of  a  young  bird  of  this  species.  "  Nov. 
24th.  *  *  *  *  Observing  him  on  a  branch  above  me,  I  whis- 
tled the  spring-song  of  this  sparrow,  being  curious  to  observe 
his  conduct.  Whereupon  the  youngster  swelled  his  throat, 
opened  his  bill,  and  apparently  tried  to  sing,  producing,  how- 
ever, only  a  few  weak  hisses.  This  he  repeated  several  times, 
as  often  as  I  whistled.  Finding,  however,  none  of  his  com- 
panions about,  as  I  had  probably  led  him  to  suppose,  he  soon 
returned  to  the  asparagus-bed  near  by."  His  instinct  of  song, 
and  his  futile  efforts  to  answer  my  deceptive  notes,  afford  much 
food  for  interesting  thought. 

If  anything  can  add  freshness  to  the  freshness  of  a  bright 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  223 

morning  in  spring,  it  is  the  music  which  the  Fox  Sparrows 
produce  at  that  season,  and  it  is  well  worth  the  effort  of  early 


XVII.     JUNCO 

(A)   HYEMALIS.     Snow-bird.13 

(InfMassachusetts,  common  from  September  until  May ;  in 
winter,  for  the  most  part,  only  present  with  the  snow,  or  just 
before  storms.) 

(a).  6-6^  inches  long.  Outer  tail-feathers,  always  pure 
white.  In  full  plumage,  slaty-black,  with  the  breast  and  belly 
abruptly  white.  Often,  especially  in  winter-specimens  or  the 
females,  the  black  and  white  of  the  under  parts  are  shaded 
into  one  another,  and  all  the  black  is  less  pure,  with  brown  edg- 
ings on  the  wings  (and  back),  or  is  even  replaced  by  a  rich, 
warm,  dark  brown,  which  also  tints  the  breast  and  sides. 

(b).  The  nest  is  built  on  the  ground  (often  near  roadsides), 
sometimes  on  a  stump  or  log,  and  rarely  in  a  bush  or  low  ever- 
green. Four  or  five  eggs  are  laid  about  the  first  of  June 
among  the  White  Mountains,  and  often  others  in  July.  These 
average  '80X*60  of  an  inch,  and  vary  from  pale  grayish- white, 
marked  thickly  and  delicately,  but  very  faintly,  with  lilac,  to 
bluish  or  greenish-white,  spotted  and  blotched,  chiefly  about 
the  crown,  with  reddish-brown,  umber,  and  often  purplish. 
The  nest  may  be  found  both  in  woods  and  pasture-land,  differ- 
ing from  those  of  the  various  warblers  in  being  much  larger 
and  sometimes  coarser. 

(c).  The  Snow-birds  spend  the  summer  in  the  woodland  of 
the  White  Mountains,  and  other  parts  of  northern  New  Eng- 
land (occasionally  in  the  highlands  of  Western  Massachus- 
etts?), but  in  the  autumn  pass  with  regularity  to  the  southward 
of  their  summer-range.  They  are  common  in  winter  from  New 
Hampshire  to  Florida,  and  near  Boston  occur  so  early  as  the 
latter  part  of  September,  and  so  late  as  the  middle  of  May. 


73  Often  called  the  Black  or  Blue  Snow-bird  in  distinction  from  the  Snow  Bunt- 
ing, or  "  White  Snow-bird." 


224  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

They  frequent,  while  here,  the  woods,  roadsides,  stubble-fields, 
etc.,  for  the  most  part  in  small  flocks,  and  often  accompanied 
by  sparrows.  They  are  so  tame  as  fearlessly  to  approach  our 
houses  and  barns  in  the  country,  and  they  may  be  attracted 
to  piazzas,  particularly  those  with  shrubbery  near,  by  the  scat- 
tering of  cracked-wheat  or  oats.  In  spite  of  their  familiarity, 
they  are  easily  startled,  and  fly  immediately,  at  the  pftsence 
of  real  or  imaginary  danger,  to  trees  or  shrubbery.  They  hop 
quite  nimbly  on  the  ground,  and  while  so  doing  constantly 
open  and  shut  their  tails  with  rapidity.  They  occasionally 
scratch  like  (the  Fox-colored  Sparrows,  or  by  a  quick  backward 
motion  toss  up  the  snow.  I  have  seen  them  make  passage- 
ways in  this  manner  to  reach  the  wheat  placed  for  them  on  a 
stand,  and  such  long  ones  that  they  disappeared  in  the  re- 
cesses. They  are  quarrelsome,  and  in  them  we  may  see  feebly 
reflected  many  of  the  human  passions.  They  have,  I  believe, 
a  topographical  instinct,  as  is  indicated  by  the  prompt  collec- 
tion of  apparently  the  same  individuals  on  the  above-men- 
tioned stand,  after  the  first  fall  of  snow,  at  the  beginning  of 
two  or  three  successive  winters.  They  follow  quite  strictly, 
except  in  autumn  and  spring,  the  snow-line,  often  rather  disap- 
pearing from  Boston  during  the  heavy  thaws,  and  returning 
just  before  or  with  the  storms.  They  are  said  to  be  common 
about  Plymouth,  New  Hampshire,  during  the  warm  "spells," 
though  absent  in  cold  weather.  In  March  and  April  they  be- 
come rather  shy;  and  are  much  among  trees,  such  as  the  pines, 
from  the  branches  of  which  they  utter  a  great  variety  of  musi- 
cal notes.  As  soon  as  the  milder  weather  comes,  they  migrate 
to  the  northward,  and  they  are  often  scarce  here  in  spring. 

They  are  sometimes  affected  by  a  faintness  or  dizziness, 
which  may  apparently  cause  death,  as  I  have  several  times 
found  them  lying  dead,  without  a  feather  ruffled,  or  without  a 
perceptible  wound,  and  yet  food  was  abundant  at  the  time. 
Once,  in  walking  through  the  woods,  my  attention  was  attracted 
by  the  sound  of  some  object  falling,  and,  upon  turning,  I  saw 
upon  the  ground  a  Snow-bird  lying  on  his  back.  When  I 
gently  picked  him  up,  he  fluttered  away  to  a  branch,  from 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  225 

which  he  soon  afterwards  reeled  and  again  fell.  After  a  brief 
chase,  during  which  he  flew  feebly,  usually  alighting  on  the 
ground,  I  again  captured  him.  On  being  taken  to  my  room, 
he  was  for  some  while  listless,  but  afterwards  picked  up  a  few 
of  the  grains  spread  for  him  on  the  floor,  though  he  refused 
water.  He  soon  began  to  fly  about  the  room,  most  often 
against  the  window-panes,  and  was  finally  allowed  to  escape, 
when  he  perched  in  a  bush,  where  half  an  hour  later  he  was 
found,  looking  rather  forlorn,  though  sufficiently  active  to  es- 
cape a  recapture. 

The  Snow-birds,  as  I  have  discovered  from  several  observa- 
tions made  in  March,  though  early  risers,  are  very  drowsy  at 
sunrise.  They  at  that  season  usually  passed  the  night  in 
evergreens,  and  before  six  o'clock  in  the  morning  gathered  at 
some  lilacs  and  other  bushes,  where  many  slept  or  rather 
napped,  for  several  minutes,  near  the  ground,  though  others 
were  actively  employed.  So  great  was  their  drowsiness  that  I 
could  approach  them  closely  before  they  made  the  effort  to 
rouse  themselves.  Other  birds,  observed  at  the  same  time, 
such  as  the  "  Red-polls,"  Crows,  and  Robins,  seemed  to  awake 
with  a  desire  for  immediate  activity,  except  those  who  sang 
before  leaving  their  roosts. 

(d).  The  Snow-birds  have  a  loud  chuck,  and  cries  of  chit, 
chit-a-sit,  or  the  like,  which  they  utter  particularly  as  they 
take  to  flight.67  They  have  also  in  spring  a  great  variety 
of  twitters,  trills,  and  even  tinkling  sounds,  which  are  often 
so  combined  as  to  form  a  lively  song.  The  notes  which  they 
employ  when  excited  or  quarreling  strongly  resemble  the  sound 
produced  by  the  shying  of  a  stone  across  the  ice.  Their  trills 
are  often  so  like  those  of  the  Pine  "Warblers,  though  more 
open  and  more  like  twitters,  that  it  is  difficult  to  distinguish 
them  when  the  bTrds  are  together  in  the  pines.  These  notes 
also  differ  but  little  from  those  of  the  Swamp  Sparrow,  in 
whose  haunts,  however,  the  Snow-birds  rarely  occur. 

As  the  most  common  and  regular  of  our  winter-visitors,  and 


67  See  §  1, 1,  D. 
16 


226  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

almost  the  only  ones  who  ever  seek  the  neighborhood  of  man, 
the  Snow-birds  are  certainly  entitled  to  our  affections ;  and 
their  liveliness  cannot  but  afford  pleasure,  when  brought  di- 
rectly in  contrast  at  our  very  doors,  so  to  speak,  with  the  cold 
and  storms  of  midwinter. 

NOTE. — According  to  Mr.  William  Brewster  (Bulletin,  Nutt- 
all  Ornithological  Club,  April,  1876,  Vol.  I,  No.  1)  a  female 
Oregon  Snow-bird  (Junco  Oregonus)  was  "  shot  in  Watertown, 
Mass.,  March  25th,  1874."  $  black;  9  browner.  Lower 
breast,  etc.,  white.  Back  and  wing-edgings,  "  dull  reddish- 
brown  ;"  sides  paler. 

XVIII.   PIPILO 

(A)  ERYTHROPTHALMUS.  Towhee  Bunting.  "Towhee"  "Che- 
winJc."  " Ground  Robin."  " Marsh  Robin."  "Swamp  Robin."™ 

(A  common  summer-resident  in  Massachusetts,  but  not  com- 
mon to  the  northward  of  this  State.) 


Fig.  10.    Towhee  Bunting  (£). 

(a).  8-8^-  inches  long.  (Iris,  in  the  summer-season  red, 
except  in  the  young  ;  otherwise,  white  or  nearl^so.)  $ ,  black  ; 
lower  breast,  belly,  and  nearly  the  whole  of  the  outermost  tail- 
feathers,  white.  A  conspicuous  patch  on  the  side  of  the  breast, 
chestnut  (with  paler  traces  of  it  behind).  Wings  and  tail 

68  This  name  has  been  applied  indiscriminately  to  several  different  birds. 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  227 

with  some  white,  besides  that  mentioned.  9  ,  of  a  deep,  warm 
brown  where  the  male  is  black. 

(5).  The  nest,  which  near  Boston  is  generally  finished  in  the 
last  week  of  May,  is  to  be  fonnd  in  the  "scrub"  and  low  wet 
woods.  It  is  placed  on  the  ground,  or  near  it  in  a  pile  of 
underbrush,  and  is  composed  of  twigs,  dead  leaves,  grasses, 
and  roots.  The  eggs  of  each  set  are  usually  four,  averaging 
1*00  X  '75  of  an  inch;  and  their  ground-color  is  white,  often 
tinged  with  brown  ^or  gray.  The  markings  are  usually  very 
fine,  rarely  in  blotches,  and  never  coarse.  They  are  sometimes 
most  prominent  about  the  crown,  and  sometimes  are  scattered 
evenly  over  the  egg,  often  being  very  minute  and  numerous. 
Their  colors  are  various  browns,  and  occasionally  lilac  also.  . 

(c).  The  Towhee  Buntings  are  common  almost  throughout 
the  eastern  United  States,  though  rare  to  the  northward  of 
Massachusetts,  and  not  known  to  occur  beyond  the  White 
Mountains.  Iii  other  parts  of  the  country  they  are  repre- 
sented by  numerous  closely  allied  species  and  varieties,  as  are 
other  of  our  common  birds,  such  as  the-Song  Sparrow,  of  whom 
there  are  said  to  be  no  less  than  six  distinct  races  in  the  West 
and  North-west.69  The  "  Towhees "  usually  reach  Boston 
(which  now  includes  much  country  within  its  limits)  in  the 
first  week  of  May,  sometimes  earlier,  sometimes  later,  and 
leave  it  in  September  or  early  October.  On  their  arrival  they 
sometimes  appear  in  the  copses  and  shrubbery  of  cultivated 
estates,  but  they  usually  desert  these  later  in  the  season,  and 
frequent  almost  exclusively  swampy  woodland,  and  the  "scrub," 
often  that  growing  on  hillsides.  The  "scrub"  is  a  low  or 
bushy  "growth"  of  trees,  consisting  chiefly  of  oaks  and  birches, 
which  occurs  for  the  most  part  in  dry  and  hilly  lands,  particu- 
larly such  as  once  contained  pines.  Here  among  the  under- 
brush the  "Chewinks"  busy  themselves,  always  on  or  near  the 
ground,  except  when  the  males  mount  some  low  perch  to  sing. 
They  search  for  seeds  and  insects  underneath  the  leaves  and 
decayed  vegetation,  which  they  turn  over  by  scratching  much 

«»Dr.  Coues. 


228  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

like  hens ;  when  disturbed,  leaving  the  ground  to  eye  the  in- 
truder, but,  unless  pursued,  immediately  returning  to  their  for- 
mer occupation.  They  may  often  be  seen  flying  across  the 
road  or  paths,  with  their  broad,  white-edged  tail  wide-spread. 
They  never  are  gregarious,  except  so  far  as  to  gather  in  family- 
parties  during  the  autumn  and  their  migrations  at  that  season. 
It  is  not  always  easy  to  catch  sight  of  them,  particularly  when 
they  are  near  their  nests,  which  they  conceal  with  extraordi- 
nary care,  and  often  with  much  success.  Though  shy,  they 
often  seem  saucy ;  and,  while  one  person  complains  of  their 
chirruping  to  and  starting  his  horse,  another  says  that,  on  the 
discovery  of  their  nest,  they  express  their  sorrow  so  impu- 
dently as  to  rouse  his  indignation. 

(d).  Their  most  characteristic  note  is  a  "tow-hee"  of  which 
the  last  syllable  resembles  in  tone  the  chirp  of  the  Wilson's 
Thrush,  though  sometimes  much  more  petulant.  They  have 
also  a  whistled  "  whit'-a-whit'-a-whit',"  often  repeated  in  the 
fall,  when  it  sounds  quite  melancholy,  and  a  loud  chuck.  The 
males  have  a  simple  but  sweet  song,  often  poured  out  in 
the  early  summer  from  some  dilapidated  fence  or  brush-heap, 
which  may  be  represented  by  the  words  "  che  we  we  we,  wee," 
the  last  being  an  indefinite  trill.  This  chant  is  frequently  pro- 
longed by  the  addition  of  other  notes,  and,  says  Mr.  Allen,  in 
his  "List  of  the  Winter  Birds  of  East  Florida,"  "as  is  well 
known,  the  song  of"  this  bird  "at  the  north  consists  of  two 
parts,  nearly  equal  in  length  but  otherwise  quite  different," 
though  in  that  of  "the  Florida  bird  the  last  half  is  almost 
entirely  omitted."  Mr.  Samuels  speaks  of  their  having  more- 
over "  a  quavering  warble  difficult  of  description." 

XIX.  EUSPIZA 

(A)   AMERICANA.     Black-throated  Bunting. 

(Very  rare  in  Massachusetts,  where  it  has  occasionally  been 
found  in  the  summer-season.) 

(a).  About  6^  inches  long.  $.  Crown,  yellow,  rendered 
olive  by  an  admixture  of  black,  which  here  and  there  appears 
in  streaks.  Back  of  the  neck,  and  side  of  the  head,  ashy. 


OF   NEW  ENGLAND.  229 

Superciliary  line,  and  edge  of  the  wing,  bright  yellow ;  breast 
paler.  Other  under  parts,  white ;  lower  throat  with  a  broad 
black  patch,  forming  a  cross-bar.  Upper  parts,  dull  brown ; 
interscapulars  black-streaked.  Wings  with  bright  chestnut, 
wanting  in  the  ?  ,  who  has  less  yellow,  and  no  black  beneath 
except  in  streaks. 

(6).  The  nest  is  usually  built  upon  the  ground  in  dry  fields, 
and  the  eggs  are  bright,  light  blue,  green-tinged,  averaging 
•75  X  "55  of  an  inch. 

(c) .  The  Black-throated  Buntings  are  extremely  rare  so  far 
to  the  northward  as  Massachusetts,  where,  says  Dr.  Brewer, 
only  two  of  their  nests  have  been  found,  to  which  may  now 
be  added  a  third,  which  I  myself  found  with  fresh  eggs,  in  the 
early  part  of  June,  at  Canton.  It  was  in  a  dry  grassy  field, 
near  cultivated  land,  and  such  a  place  as  these  birds  are  said 
usually  to  inhabit.  The  female  left  her  nest  on  my  approach, 
and,  after  running  through  the  grass,  perched  on  a  low  fence, 
from  which  she,  together  with  the  male,  watched  me  silently. 
These  were  the  only  living  specimens  that  I  have  ever  seen. 
The  Black-throated  Buntings,  says  Wilson,  "  arrive  in  Penn- 
sylvania from  the  south  about  the  middle  of  May ;  abound  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Philadelphia,  and  seem  to  prefer  level 
fields  covered  with  rye-grass,  timothy,  or  clover,  *  *  *."  They 
are  "  never  gregarious  ;  but "  are  "  almost  always  seen  singly, 
or  in  pairs,  or,  at  most,  the  individuals  of  one  family  together." 
"  Their  whole  song  consists  of  five  notes,  or,  more  properly, 
of  two  notes ;  the  first  repeated  twice  and  slowly,  the  second 
thrice,  and  rapidly,  resembling  chip,  chip,  che  die  die.  Of  this 
ditty,  such  as  it  is,  they  are  by  no  means  parsimonious,"  and 
like  "  the  Yellow-Hammer  of  Britain  *  *  *  they  are  fond  of 
mounting  to  the  top  of  some  half-grown  tree,  and  there  chir- 
ruping for  half  an  hour  at  a  time."  Wilson's  description  of 
their  eggs  is  wholly  incorrect. 

XX.     CYANOSPIZA 

(A)    CYANEA.     Indigo  Bird. 

(A  common  summer-resident  in  southern  New  England,  but 
less  so  to  the  northward.) 


230  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

(a).  About  5^  inches  long.  $ ,  bright  indigo-blue,  darker 
on  the  head,  reflecting  green  in  the  light.  Wings  and  tail, 
darker,  with  much  blackish.  (9,  above,  a  peculiar  shade  of 
warm  brown  ;  below,  lighter,  flaxen-tinted,  sometimes  streaky. 

(6).  The  nest  is  built  in  bushes  or  open  shrubbery,  not  in- 
frequently near  a  house.  It  is  composed  outwardly  of  dead 
leaves,  dry  weed- stalks,  grasses,  etc. ;  and  is  lined  with  finer 
materials  of  the  same  sort,  or  with  hairs ;  often  being  quite 
bulky.  In  Eastern  Massachusetts  four  or  five  eggs  are  laid  in 
the  last  week  of  May,  or  later.  They  average  '75X.55  of  an 
inch,  and  are  white,  often  blue-tinged,  and  perhaps  occasion- 
ally marked. 

(c).  The  Indigo  Birds  are  common  in  New  England  as  sum- 
mer-residents, occurring  so  far  to  the  northward  as  Bethle- 
hem among  the  White  Mountains,™  though,  according  to  Dr. 
Brewer,  locally  distributed  through  Eastern  Massachusetts. 
They  arrive  at  Boston  in  the  second  week  of  May,  and,  during 
their  residence  here  of  about  four  months,  frequent  not  only 
the  pastures,  woodland  of  low  growth,  and  the  "  scrub,"  but 
shrubbery  near  houses,  where  they  frequently  build  their  nests, 
one  of  which,  says  Dr.  Brewer,  was  occupied  by  a  pair  for  five 
successive  summers.  They  feed  both  upon  insects  and  seeds, 
but  principally  the  latter,  which  they  often  search  for  on  the 
ground,  even  on  the  roadsides.  They  can  fly  quite  rapidly, 
and  in  summer,  even  when  there  is  no  necessity  for  such  wan- 
dering, often  fly  more  than  a  mile  at  a  considerable  height, 
moving  from  one  pasture  to  another.  They  are  rather  shy,  and 
sometimes  find  this  a  convenient  manner  of  escaping  the  an- 
noyance of  intrusion.  In  autumn  they  are  gregarious,  and 
associate  in  small  flocks  with  other  finches.  The  females 
are  insignificant  little  birds,  occupied,  during  their  stay  here, 
chiefly  with  household  cares,  but  the  males,  from  their  bright 
plumage,  glistening  with  the  reflections  of  the  varying  lights, 
and  from  their  music,  so  persistently  repeated,  except  near 


70  Mr.  Wm.  Couper  says  that  they  breed  near  Quebec,  in  Canada,  where,  how- 
ever, they  are  not  common. 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND,  231 

their  nests,  are  always  conspicuous,  and  ever  insist  on  making 
their  presence  known. 

(d).  The  song  of  the  males  is  of  varying  length,  sweet  and 
livel}T,  but  rather  weak,  forcibly  reminding  one  of  the  warblers. 
The  Indigo  Birds  have  also  a  chip  and  a  loud  chuck.  Wilson, 
in  speaking  of  this  species,  says  :  —  "It  mounts  to  the  highest 
tops  of  a  large  tree  and  chants  for  half  an  hour  at  a  time.  Its 
song  is  not  one  continued  strain,  but  a  repetition  of  short 
notes,  commencing  loud  and  rapid,  and  falling  by  almost  im- 
perceptible gradations  for  six  or  eight  seconds,  till  they  seem 
hardly  articulate,  as  if  the  little  minstrel  were  quite  exhausted  ; 
and  after  a  pause  of  half  a  minute  or  less,  commences  again 
as  before.  Some  of  our  birds  sing  only  in  spring,  and  then 
chiefly  in  the  morning,  being  comparatively  mute  during  the 
heat  of  noon  ;  but  the  Indigo-bird  chants  with  as  much  anima- 
tion under  the  meridian  sun,  in  the  month  of  July,  as  in^the 
month  of  May  ;  and  continues  his  song,  occasionally,  to  the 
middle  or  end  of  August." 

XXI.   GUIRACA 

(A)   c.ERULEA.71     Blue  Grosbeak. 

(I  know  no  instance  of  this  bird's  capture  in  Massachusetts, 

but  it  has  been  shot  on  Grand  Menan  Island.) 

I 

(a).  About  6i  inches  long.  $  .  Above,  dark  blue,  almost 
indigo,  with  no  reflections.  Wings  and  tail,  black  ;  the  former 
with  a  few  brown  markings.  $  ,  warm  brown  above,  lighter 
and  flaxen-tinted  below.  Wings  with  light  bars. 

(b).  The  nest  is  built  in  a  tree  or  bush;  and  the  eggs  are 
light  blue,  averaging  about  P95  X  '70  of  an  inch. 

(c).  The  Blue  Grosbeaks,  so  far  as  I  know,  cannot  be  prop- 
erly considered  as  birds  of  New  England,  though  they  have  oc- 
curred both  in  New  York  and  New  Brunswick.  Mr.  Herrick, 
in  his  "  Partial  Catalogue  of  the  Birds  of  Grand  Menan,"  an 


71  I  am  strongly  inclined  to  place  this  species  in  the  genus  Cyanospiza,  or  at 
least  a  genus  intermediate  between  that  and  the  one  in  which  it  now  is,  but  I  have 
not  ventured  to  do  so.  Guiraca  may  stand,  if  the  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak,  etc.,  be 
called  Hydemeles,  as  is  now  generally  done. 


232  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

island  off  the  coast  of  the  latter  country,  says  that  "  in  the 
spring  of  1861,  Mr.  Cheney  shot  a  fine  $  specimen  and  sent  it 
to  G.  A.  Boardman,  Esq.,  in  whose  cabinet  it  now  is."  This 
specimen  has  been  spoken  of  as  having  been  obtained  in  Maine, 
which  I  suppose  to  be  an  error.72  The  Blue  Grosbeaks  are 
probably  closely  allied  to  the  Indigo  Birds  otherwise  than 
merely  by  their  coloration  and  structure,  but  I  can  ascertain 
but  little  about  their  habits.  "They  are"  says  Wilson  "  timid 
birds,  watchful,  silent  and  active,"  feeding  "  on  hemp  seed, 
millet,  and  the  kernels  of  several  kinds  of  berries." 

(d).  "Their  most  common  note  is  a  loud  chuck;  they  have 
also  at  times  a  few  low  sweet  toned  notes."  Their  song  is 
elsewhere  described  "  as  a  rapid,  intricate  warble,  like  that  of 
the  Indigo  Bird,  though  stronger  and  louder."  They  also  sing 
at  night. 

XXII.   HYDEMELES 

(A)   LUDOViciANA.73     Rose-breasted  Grosbeak. 

(A  common  summer-resident  in  Massachusetts,  though  still 
scarce  in  many  places.) 

(a).  About  eight  inches  long.  $ ,  with  the  upper  parts, 
whole  head  and  neck,  black.  Rump  and  under  parts,  white. 
A  large  patch  on  the  breast,  and  also  the  fore-part»of  the  wing 
inside,  bright  carmine.  Wings  and  tail,  black,  marked  conspic- 
uously with  white.  9  ,  with  no  white  on  the  rump  or  tail,  and 
but  little  on  the  wings,  and  with  none  of  the  male's  carmine, 
that  on  the  wings  being  replaced  by  saffron,  which  sometimes 
tints  the  breast.  Upper  parts,  flaxen-brown,  and  under  parts, 
white,  dark-streaked,  most  thickly  above,  and  most  finely  upon 
the  crown.  Eye-stripe,  dark ;  line  below,  superciliary  stripe, 
and  median  line,  dull  white.  Wings  and  tail,  plain. 


73 1  have  since  learned  that  I  am  probably  mistaken  about  the  occurrence  of 
this  bird  in  New  England,  since  Mr.  Boardman  (Proc.  B.  S.  N.  H.,  IX,  p.  127) 
speaks  of  it  as  "  very  uncertain  "  at  Calais,  Maine,  though  "  common  in  the  spring 
of  1861." 

73  This  species,  having  been  placed  in  various  genera,  at  last  stands  in  Hydem- 
eles. 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  233 

(&).  The  nest,  a  rather  frail  structure,  is  composed  of  straws, 
leaves,  or  twigs,  and  is  sometimes  lined  with  hairs.  It  is  often 
built  in  the  shrubbery  or  trees  of  cultivated  estates,  but  is 
also  to  be  found  in  barberry-bushes  in  pasture-land,  or  oaks, 
etc.,  in  the  woods,  especially  damp  woods.  An  instance  is 
known  of  its  being  found  in  a  pine,  fifty  feet  from  the  ground, 
though  usually  not  placed  very  high.  The  eggs,  which  are 
here  laid  generally  in  the  first  week  of  June,  are  three  or  four, 
and  average  1-00  X  * 75  of  an  inch.  They  are  marked  quite 
thickly  but  coarsely,  usually  with  rather  dull  reddish  or  pur- 
plish umber.  Their  ground-color  varies  from  greenish-blue  to 
dull  olive-green.  They  strongly  resemble  several  other  eggs. 
(See  the  Key.) 

(c).  The  male  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak  possesses,  combined 
in  such  a  degree  as  few  other  birds  do,  gay  beauty  of  plumage, 
and  fine  powers  of  song,  though  the  female  is  plain,  incon- 
spicuous, and  for  the  most  part  silent.  He,  therefore,  absents 
himself  from  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  his  nest,  except 
when  obliged  to  approach  it,  or  when  relieving  his  mate  from 
the  fatigue  of  incubation,  as  he  occasionally  does.  He  is  rare 
to  the  northward  of  Massachusetts,  where  he  is  common  in 
many  places,  though  still  locally  distributed.  He  reaches 
Boston  in  the  second  week  of  May,  and  returns  to  the  South 
in  September,  not  being  sufficiently  hardy  to  withstand  the 
cold  accompanying  a  hard  frost.  He  frequents  not  only  lightly 
timbered  or  swampy  woods,  but  orchards,  groves,  and  shrub- 
bery on  cultivated  estates.  He  feeds  chiefly  upon  berries  and 
seeds,  and  obtains  the  latter  from  various  trees,  such  as  the 
birches  and  alders.  He  also  eats  buds,  often  committing 
depredations  on  our  fruit-trees,  and  he  must  be  considered  as 
injurious  to  agriculture.  He  frequently  plucks  blossoms,  and, 
dexterously  cutting  off  the  petals,  etc.,  lets  them  fall,  while  he 
retains  the  ovary  which  contains  the  seeds.  He  occasionally 
seeks  for  morsels  on  the  ground,  and  may  be  seen  rustling 
among  the  fallen  leaves  and  decayed  vegetation.  He  usually, 
however,  remains  at  some  height  above  the  ground,  and  rarely 
flies  near  it.  He  is  rather  shy  and  watchful,  there  being  noth- 
ing in  his  habits  to  render  him  noticeable. 


234  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

(d).  He  is  not  always  silent  during  the  day,  when  feeding, 
but  it  is  at  evening  in  May  or  June  that  he  sings  most  loudly 
and  sweetly.  Then,  perching  near  the  top  of  some  low  tree, 
he  pours  out  an  extremely  mellow  warble,  like  that  of  the 
Robin,  but  very  much  finer.  Sometimes,  in  the  love-season,  he 
sings  at  night,  and  with  an  ardor  which  adds  to  the  beauty  of 
his  song.  There  is  a  peculiar  charm  in  hearing  birds  sing  at 
night,  for  their  music  is  more  distinct  and  impressive  in  the 
general  silence  which  there  then  is,  and  awakes  the  imagina- 
tion. The  cries  of  the  owls  would  not  seem  so  unearthly,  were 
they  heard  only  in  the  day,  nor  would  they  inspire  such  terror 
to  the  superstitious,  a  terror  which  the  darkness  naturally  in- 
creases or  partly  creates. 

The  Rose-breasted  Grosbeaks  have  as  an  ordinary  note  a 
sharp  cliirik,  which  bears  some  resemblance  to  the  cry  of  the 
little  spotted  or  Downy  Woodpecker,  but  is  more  like  a  certain 
note  of  the  Black  and  Yellow  Warbler.  They  are  never  gre- 
garious, but  occur  here  for  the  most  part  in  isolated  pairs,  who 
in  autumn  are  sometimes  followed  by  their  young.  They  are 
said  sometimes  to  sing  well  in  confinement,  "  though,"  sa}'s  a 
correspondent,  "  one,  which  I  had  for  several  months,  was  for  a 
long  while  silent,  until  one  morning  he  burst  into  song,  and 
sang  gloriously  for  almost  an  hour,  when  he  fell  dead  on  the 
floor  of  his  cage ! "  The  males  sometimes  warble  when  on 
wing,  and  they  probably  mount  in  the  air,  as  they  sing  at  night. 
Their  merits  as  musicians  will,  it  is  sincerely  to  be  hoped,  ever 
protect  them  from  persecution  as  occasional  depredators  on 
our  shrubs  and  trees. 

XXIII.     CARDINALIS 

(A)  VIRGINIANUS.  Cardinal  Grosbeak.  Cardinal  Red  Bird. 
Cardinal-bird.  "Cardinal"  Eed  Bird.14  "Virginia  Night- 
ingale." 

(Accidental  in  Massachusetts,  and  rare  so  far  to  the  north- 
ward.) 


74  Not  to  be  confused  with  the  vermilion  Summer  Red  Bird  (§10,  I,  B).    The 
Cardinal  has  a  red  bill. 


OF   NEW  EXGLASD.  235 

(a).  About  8£  inches  long;  crested.  ^,  black  about  the 
bill,  but  otherwise  of  a  brilliant  vermilion,  which  is  dull  upon 
the  back.  9  ,  dull  brown  above,  much  paler  beneath,  with 
vermilion  on  the  crest,  and  traces  of  it  elsewhere. 

(6).  The  nest  seems  to  resemble  strongly  that  of  the  Rose- 
breasted  Grosbeak,  though  more  substantial.  The  .eggs  aver- 
age 1-05X'80  of  an  inch,  and  are  white,  evenly  spotted  with 
(dull)  brown  and  faint  lilac. 

(c).  The  gorgeous  Cardinal  Grosbeaks  seem  to  have  oc- 
curred occasionally  in  Massachusetts  as  wanderers  from  the 
South,  and  not  merely  as  escaped  cage-birds.  They  are  ha- 
bitually summer-residents  for  the  most  part  in  the  Southern 
States,  where  they  inhabit  shrubbery,  groves,  thickets,  and  like 
places.  They  feed  principally  upon  various  seeds  and  grain, 
and  are  probably  somewhat  injurious  on  this  account.  Not 
only  are  the  males  extremely  brilliant,  and  very  conspicuous  in 
their  haunts,  but  both  sexes  sing  finely. 

(d).  "They  are  in  song"  says  Wilson  "from  March  to 
September,  beginning  at  the  first  appearance  of  dawn,  and 
repeating  a  favorite  stanza,  or  passage,  twenty  or  thirty  times 
successively ;  sometimes  with  little  intermission  for  a  whole 
morning  together ;  which,  like  a  good  story  too  often  repeated, 
becomes  at  length  tiresome  and  insipid.  But  the  sprightly  fig- 
ure, and  gaud}7  plumage  of  the  Red-bird,  his  vivacity,  strength 
of  voice,  awl  actual  variety  of  note,  and 'the  little  expense 
with  which  he  is  kept,  will  always  make  him  a  favorite." 

It  is  said  that  a  stuffed  specimen  can  never  convey  an  ade- 
quate idea  of  the  Cardinal  Grosbeak's  beauty,  as  the  intensity 
of  his  color  disappears  very  soon  after  death. 

XXIV.   PASSER 

(A)   DOMESTicus.75    House  Sparrow.    English  Sparrow. 
(An  imported  bird,  common  in  many  of  our  cities  and  towns, 
but  not  yet  to  be  found  in  the  country,  with  a  few  exceptions.) 
(a) .   About  six  inches  long.     Nostrils  covered.     £  .     Above, 

75  This  species  apparently  belongs  to  the  genus  Pyrgita  (XXV). 


236  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

reddish-brown,  "black-streaked;  but  crown,  rump,  etc.,  ashy. 
Forehead,  lores,  and  throat,  black;  other  under  parts,  brownish 
or  grayish.  9  •  Without  black  on  the  head ;  brown  of  the 
back  rather  grayish. 

(6).  The  eggs  are  often  somewhat  elongated,  the  length 
being  about  '85  of  an  inch,  and  the  breadth  sometimes  no  more 
than  -55.  They  are  dull  white,  or  grayish,  marked  with  ashy, 
and  sometimes  purplish  or  dark  brown.  These  markings  are 
commonly  spread  over  the  egg  numerously  and  evenly. 

(c).  The  House  Sparrows,  or,  as  they  are  better  known  to 
Americans,  the  English  Sparrows,  have  been  introduced  into 
the  United  States  within  twenty  years,  and  into  Boston  within 
ten  years.  They  are  now  abundant  in  many  cities  and  towns, 
but  the  wisdom  of  their  introduction  is  greatly  to  be  doubted. 
They  are  extremely  prolific,  and  it  is  not  improbable  that  a 
pair  may  often  produce  thirty  young  in  one  year,  for  they  begin 
to  build  their  nests  even  in  winter.  This  disproportionate  in- 
crease, and  their  tyrannical  disposition,  render  them  dangerous 
to  our  birds,  many  of  whom  they  have  already  driven  from 
Boston  Common.  So  long,  however,  as  they  confine  them- 
selves to  their  present  haunts,  and  do  not  invade  the  country, 
they  will  not  be  insufferable.  As  to  their  value,  though  it  is 
said  that  they  have  greatly  checked  the  ravages  of  canker- 
worms,  they  are  very  destructive  to  fruit-blossoms,  and  they 
are  now  too  pampered  by  luxury  to  be  efficiently  useful,  being 
constantly  provided  with  food  and  with  lodgings.  They  are 
regardless  of  cold,  and  nearly  so  of  man,  but,  except  in  their 
familiarity,  they  possess  no  charms,  being  unmusical. 

(d).  Their  only  notes  are  chirps  or  twitterings,  which  may 
be  almost  constantly  heard. 

XXV.     PYRGITA 

(A)   MONTANA.     Tree  Sparrow.16    Mountain  Sparrow. 

76  Not  to  be  confounded  with  the  American  Tree  Sparrow,  XIV,  B.  Several 
other  European  birds,  such  as  the  Serin  Finch,  and  Goldfinch  of  that  country,  are 
said  to  have  occurred  in  Massachusetts,  but  they  were,  almost  without  doubt, 
escaped  from  cages. 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  237 

(But  recently  detected  among  our  English  Sparrows,  being 
likewise  imported  birds.  The  following  account  of  their  ap- 
pearance is  quoted  from  the  "American  Naturalist,"  for  Jan- 
uary, 1876.) 

u  It  will  interest  ornithologists  to  know  that  the  tree  spar- 
row of  Europe  (Pyrgita  montana)  has  lately  been  discovered 
to  be  a  resident  of  the  United  States. 

"  The  resemblance  of  this  species  to  the  English  house  spar- 
row has  led  me  to  be  on  the  watch  for  it  since  the  introduction 
of  the  latter,  but  without  success  until  I  found  it  in  St.  Louis, 
Mo.,  last  spring.  Here  I  found  the  new  species  abundant,  but 
was  unwilling  to  take  any  until  the  breeding-season  was  over. 
Four  skins  sent  to  Mr.  G.  N.  Lawrence,  of  New  York,  are  pro- 
nounced by  him  to  ;  agree  accurately  with  the  plate  and  de- 
scription of  this  species.'  He  also  informs  me  that  about 
five  3rears  ago  Mr.  Eugene  Schieffelin  noticed  fifty  or  sixty  of 
these  birds  in  the  store  of  a  bird  importer  in  New  York,  where 
they  were  unrecognized  ;  and  these  were  probably  afterwards 
sold  as  or  with  P.  domestica.  This  is  undoubtedly  the  explan- 
ation of  their  occurrence  here,  and  further  search  will  very 
likely  show  their  presence  in  other  localities. 

"  With  a  general  resemblance  to  the  common  house  sparrow, 
Pyrgita  montana  is  readily  distinguished  by  its  chestnut  crown 
and  the  similarity  of  both  sexes  and  the  young.  In  St.  Louis 
it  considerably  outnumbers  P.  domestica,  and,  as  is  the  case  in 
Europe,  it  prefers  the  outskirts  of  the  city  and  the  country. 
In  other  respects  these  two  species  closely  resemble  each 
other." — Dr.  James  C.  Merrill,  U.  S.  Army. 

§16.   AlaudidSB.     Larks.     (See  §  15  adfinem.) 
I.   ERIMOPHILA 

(A)   ALPESTRIS.     Shore  Lark.    Horned  Lark.    "Sky  Lark." 
(Quite  common  in  Massachusetts  in  winter,  chiefly  on  or 

near  the  sea-shore.) 

(a).   1-1$    inches    long.      Above,    salmon-colored    brown, 

vaguely  streaked  with  dusky  brown.    Outer  tail-feathers,  black ; 


238 


LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 


outermost  white-edged.  Throat  and  superciliary  line,  pale 
yellow.  Large  patch  or  crescent  on  the  breast,  and  smaller  one 
under  the  eye,  black.  Belly,  etc.,  white.  (In  fall  and  winter- 
specimens,  tints  generally  duller,  and  markings  more  obscure.) 
In  living  specimens  the  lengthened  feathers  above  the  ear  form 
two  slight  "  horns."  Feet  black.  Hind-claws  very  long. 


Fig.  11.    Shore  Lark  (£). 

(6).  The  Shore  Larks  breed  far  to  the  westward  and  north- 
ward of  New  England  ;  but,  though  "  seen  by  Mr.  W.  Brews- 
ter,  in  July,  1869,"  they  have  never  been  known  to  breed  in 
this  State.  Their  nests  are  built  on  the  ground,  and  their 
eggs  are  grayish,  thickly  marked  with  brown,  and  sometimes 
lilac,  and  average  -90  X  '65  of  an  inch. 

(c).  The  Shore  Larks  come  to  New  England,  from  the  North, 
in  October,  and  remain  until  April.  They  may  be  found  in 
Massachusetts,  throughout  the  winter,  in  loose  scattered  flocks, 
often  associated  with  other  birds,  such  as  Snow  Buntings, 
chiefly  on  the  beaches  and  marshes  along  the  shore,  and  never, 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  239 

as  a  rule,  very  far  from  the  sea-coast.  In  spring,  however, 
when  the  snow  has  been  much  melted,  they  sometimes  venture 
inland,  and  in  ploughed  lands,  fields,  and  roads,  pick  up  many 
of  the  seeds,  and  perhaps  a  few  of  the  insects,  upon  which 
they  habitually  feed,  or  which  at  least  afford  them  satisfactory 
nourishment.  They  are  very  nimble,  when  on  the  ground, 
where  they  are  most  of  the  time,  but  they  have  a  singular  habit 
of  hiding  behind  stones  or  in  holes,  so  that  when  man  ap- 
proaches he  is  obliged  to  play  at  "  hide-and-seek"  with  them, 
before  gaining  their  acquaintance.  They  retire  in  summer  to 
Labrador,  where  they  build  their  nests  near  the  sea1,  on  the 
moss-covered  rocks. 

(d) .  The  Shore  Larks  seem  to  possess  notes  much  like  those 
of  their  celebrated  European  relation,  for,  says  Wilson,  they 
"  have  a  single  cry,  almost  exactly  like  that  of  the  Sky  Lark 
of  Britain,"  and  "  are  said  to  sing  well ;  mounting  in  the  air, 
in  the  manner  of  the  Song  Lark  of  Europe ;  but  this  is  only 
in  those  countries  where  they  breed."  Audubon  speaks  of  the 
male  uttering  a  very  soft  and  plaintive  note,  when  his  nest  has 
been  disturbed. 

The  famous  trait  of  the  English  Sky  Lark,  is  probably 
known  to  most  readers  of  this  volume, — his  manner  of  flying 
toward  the  sky,  constantly  pouring  out  his  delicious  music, 
until  almost  lost  to  sight.  The  poet  Shelley  has  addressed 
this  bird  in  these  spirited  lines  :  — 

"Hail  to  thee,  blithe  Spirit! 

"  Bird  thon  never  wert, 
"  That  from  heaven,  or  near  it 

"Pourest  thy  full  heart 
"  In  profuse  strains  of  unpremeditated  art." 

"Higher  still  and  higher 

"  From  the  earth  thou  springest 
" Like  a  cloud  of  fire; 

"  The  blue  deep  thou  wingest, 
"  And  singing  still  dost  soar,  and  soaring  ever  singest.'1 

"  In  the  golden  lightning 

"  Of  the  sunken  sun 
"  O'er  which  clouds  are  brightening, 

"  Thou  dost  float  and  run, 
"  Like  an  unbodied  joy  whose  race  is  just  begun." 


240  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

"  The  pale  purple  even 

"  Melts  around  thy  flight; 
"  Like  a  star  of  heaven 

"  In  the  broad  daylight 
"  Thou  art  unseen,  but  yet  I  hear  thy  shrill  delight." 


"  Teach  me  half  the  gladness 

"  That  thy  brain  must  know, 
"  Such  harmonious  madness 

"From  my  lips  would  flow 
"  The  world  should  listen  then,  as  I  am  listening  now  1 " 

The  last  stanza  of  Wordsworth's  ode  to  the  Sky  Lark  is  also 
very  fine :  — 

'Leave  to  the  nightingale  her  shady  wood; 

'  A  privacy  of  glorious  light  is  thine, 

'  Whence  thou  dost  pour  upon  the  world  a  flood 

'  Of  harmony,  with  instinct  more  divine; 

'Type  of  the  wise,  who  soar,  but  never  roam  — 

'  True  to  the  kindred  points  of  Heaven  and  Home." 

NOTE.— "The  famed  Skylark  of  the  Old  World"  (Alauda 
arvensis),  says  Dr.  Brewer,  "  can  rest  on  a  twofold  claim  to  be 
included  in  a  complete  list  of  North  American  birds.  One  of 
these  is  their  occasional  occurrence  in  the  Bermudas,  and  in 
Greenland.  The  other  is  their  probably  successful  introduc- 
tion near  New  York." 

(a).  Nearly  eight  inches  long.  Above,  grayish-brown  ;  be- 
neath, white,  or  buff-tinged ;  above  and  below,  much  streaked 
with  dusky.  Outer  tail-feathers,  white.  (Details  omitted.) 
Young  much  more  yellowish,  and  less  streaked. 

(&).  Of  two  eggs  in  my  collection,  one  measures  -95  X  '65 
of  an  inch,  and  is  grayish- white,  thickly  and  minutely  marked 
with  ashy  brown,  forming  a  dark  ring  about  the  crown.  The 
other  is  tinged  with  green,  is  more  evenly  marked,  and  meas- 
ures *90  X  '70  of  an  inch.  The  nest  is  built  upon  the  ground. 

§  17.  The  Icteridse  (or  starlings)  include  the  blackbirds, 
orioles,  etc.  As  Dr.  Coues  says  ;  "  the  relationships  are  very 
close  with  the  Fringillidce,  on  the  one  hand  ;  on  the  other,  they 
grade  toward  the  crows  (Corvidce).  They  share  with  the  frin- 
gilline  birds  the  characters  of  angulated  commissure  and  nine 


OF   NEW    ENGLAND.  241 

developed  primaries  [also  scutellate  tarsi,  etc.],  and  this  dis- 
tinguishes, them  from  all  our  other  families  whatsoever  ;  but 
the  distinctions  from  the  Fringillidce,  are  not  easily  expressed. 
In  fact,  I  know  of  no  character  that,  for  example,  will  relegate 
the  bobolink  and  cowbird  to  the  Icteridce  rather  than  to  the 
Fringillidce,  in  the  current  acceptation  of  these  terms.  In  gen- 
eral, however,  the  Icteridce  are  distinguished  by  the  length, 
acuteness  and  not  strictty  conical  shape  of  the  unnotched, 
unbristled  bill,  that  shows  a  peculiar  extension  of  the  culmen 
on  the  forehead,  dividing  the  prominent  antise  of  close-set, 
velvety  feathers  that  reach  to  or  on  the  nasal  scale." 

"With  the  exception  of  the  Sturnellce  (or  meadow  larks), 
who  show  an  affinity  to  the  true  larks,  the  sexes  are  unlike, 
and  the  males  are  largely  or  wholly  black,  often  highly  lus- 
trous. 

The  orioles  are  arboreal,  but  the  other  starlings  are  in  a 
great  measure  terrestrial,  being  walking  birds.  They  are  gen- 
erally granivorous  rather  than  insectivorous,  and  are  migratory 
and  gregarious.  The  orioles,  however,  form  a  distinct  group, 
ranked  as  a  subfamily,  Icterince  (Gen.V).  Bill  rather  slender, 
ami  acute,  with  upper  and  lower  outlines  both  more  or  less 
curved  ;  tail  rounded.  Birds  non-gregarious,  and  scarcely  gra- 
nivorous ;  fine  musicians,  and  clever  architects,  building  pen- 
sile, woven  nests.  (Fig.  13.)  The  other  subfamilies  are  : 

Agelceince  (I-IV),  (fig.  12).  Bill  generally  stout;  upper 
and  lower  outlines  both  uncurved ;  tail  nearly  even.  I,  II, 
sweetly  musical ;  tail-feathers  pointed.  II,  III,  bill  fringilline. 
IV,  bill  as  in  pi.  1,  fig.  18.  I,  bill  similar,  but  elongated. 
Quiscalince,  or  grakles  (VI,  VII),  (fig.  14).  Bill  with  the 
edges  noticeably  turned  inward,  with  upper  outline  much 
curved,  but  lower  nearly  straight.  Birds  scarcely  musical,  but 
eminently  gregarious.  Nests  rather  rude,  and  never  on  the 
ground. 

I.   STURNELLA 

(A)  MAGNA.  Meadow  LarJc.  Old-field  Lark.  "Marsh 
quail." 

17 


242  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

• 

(A  common  summer-resident  of  New  England,  and  known 
to  have  occurred  here  in  winter.) 

(a).  About  10£  inches  long.  Upper  parts,  sides,  etc.,  brown, 
with  much  pale  edging,  and  blackish  chiefly  in  streaks.  Outer 
tail-feathers,  largely  white.  Median  and  superciliary  lines, 
pale  ;  a  part  of  the  latter,  the  edge  of  the  wing,  and  the  under 
parts,  bright  yellow,  with  a  black  crescent  on  the  breast.  The 
female  is  rarely  more  than  ten  inches  long. 

(6).  The  nest  is  built  often  on  or  beside  a  tussock,  and 
usually  on  or  near  a  meadow.  It  is  composed  chiefly  of  grass, 
except  perhaps  the  lining,  and  is  often  ingeniously  concealed 
by  a  more  or  less  perfect  arch.  The  eggs  of  each  set  are  four, 
or  sometimes  five,  average  1'IOX'BO  of  an  inch,  though  variable 
in  size,  and  are  white,  marked  with  (reddish-)  brown  and  lilac, 
sometimes  finely  and  faintly,  though  occasionally  with  splashes. 
They  are  laid  near  Boston  in  the  latter  part  of  May,  though 
possibly  a  second  set  may  be  laid  later. 

(c).  During  what  are  called  the  "open"  winters,  the 
Meadow  Larks  may  be  found  scattered  throughout  southern 
New  England,  where  they  are  common  in  summer  even  so  far 
to  the  northward  as  the  White  Mountains.  Usually,  however, 
they  appear  in  Massachusetts  about  the  middle  of  March,  and 
they  may  then  be  found  in  almost  every  broad  meadow  which 
is  bordered  by  rising  ground.  Though  they  often  perch  in  tall 
trees  and  in  bushes,  yet  they  are  most  often  upon  the  ground, 
where,  like  the  true  larks,  they  walk  and  do  not  hop.  They 
obtain  their  food,  which  consists  of  insects  and  seeds,  from 
meadows,  fields,  and  occasionally  ploughed  land.  They  fly 
with  a  rapid  but  intermittent  quivering  of  their  wings,  usually 
near  the  ground,  but  not  unfrequently  at  a  considerable  height. 
They  are,  when  mated,  very  affectionate,  often  flying  to  meet 
one  another,  or  calling  back  and  forth.  They  are  also  shy, 
rarely  admitting  a  near  approach,  and  they  frequently  conceal 
their  nest  by  an  arch  of  the  long  grass  in  which  it  is  usually 
built.  In  autumn,  when  collected  in  flocks,  they  are  some- 
times pursued  by  gunners,  from  whom,  I  suppose,  they  have 
received  the  name  of  "  Marsh  Quail,"  which  is  not  altogether 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  243 

inappropriate,  since  "  they  are  generally  considered,  for  size 
and  delicacy,  but  little  inferior  to  the  quail."  They  are  in  the 
fall  even  more  shy  than  before,  though  in  winter,  at  the  South, 
"they  swarm  among  the  rice  plantations,"  says  Wilson,  "run- 
ning about  the  yards  and  out-houses,  accompanied  by  the  Kill- 
deers,84  with  little  appearance  of  fear,  as  if  quite  domesticated." 
(d).  The  Meadow  Larks  have  a  single  rather  shrill  note  or 
whistle,  another  note  which  is  much  like  that  of  the  Night 
41  Hawk,"  a  peculiar  guttural  chatter,  and  a  plaintive  whistle, 
consisting  of  four  or  five  notes  (of  which  the  first  and  third  are 
usually  higher  than  those  immediately  succeeding,  and  the  last 
most  dwelt  upon) .  Though  subject  to  such  variation  as  some- 
times to  suggest  the  songs  of  two  different  species,  their 
music  always  expresses  the  same  sweetness,  plaintiveness,  and 
almost  wildness.  It  is  uttered,  not  only  from  the  ground  and 
from  the  tree-tops,  but  very  often  when  the  birds  are  on  the 
wing. 

II.  DOLICHONYX 

(A)  ORYZIVORUS.  Bobolink.  Reed-bird.  Rice-bird.  "Skunk 
Blackbird." 

(A  common  summer-resident  throughout  the  north-eastern 
United  States.) 

(a).  <£,  about  7£  inches  long.  From  arrival  in  New 
England  until  August,  black;  hind-neck,  buff,  interscapulars 
streaked  with  the  same ;  shoulders,  rump,  and  upper  tail-cov- 
erts, nearly  white.  At  other  times  like  9  ;  yellowish-brown 
above,  darkly  or  blackly  streaked  (as  are  also  the  sides)  ; 
wings  and  tail,  dark,  with  pale  edgings ;  median  and  supercili- 
ary stripes,  and  under  parts,  brownish-yellow. 

(b).  The  nest  is  built  upon  the  ground,  in  fields  of  long 
grass,  or  in  meadows,  and  is  more  or  less  concealed.  It  is 
usually  finished,  near  Boston,  in  the  last  week  of  May.  The 
eggs  are  four  or  five,  averaging  -90  X  '70  of  an  inch,  and  are 
white,  tinged  with  brown,  gray,  or  rarely  green,  and  generally 

84  A  kind  of  plover. 


244  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

blotched,  splashed,  or  clouded,  with  a  dark,  dull  brown.  The 
colors  are,  however,  variable,  occasionally  resembling  those  of 
the  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak's  egg. 

(c).  The  Bobolinks  are  common  summer-residents  of  New 
England,  but  chiefly  in  the  southern  parts.  From  other  writers 
it  may  be  gathered  that  they  pass  the  winter  far  to  the  south- 
ward (being,  according  to  Gosse,  migrants  through  Jamaica), 
enter  the  Gulf  States  in  large  flocks  during  March  or  April, 
and  thence  proceed  northward,  plundering  on  their  way  the 
farmers,  and  in  Virginia  doing  "great  damage  to  the  early 
wheat  and  barley,  while  in  its  milky  state."  They  reach  Bos- 
ton (but  never  in  flocks)  about  the  tenth  of  May,  and  are  soon 
dispersed  over  the  grassy  fields,  orchards,  and  meadows,  which 
are  their  summer-homes.  There  they  may  be  seen  in  pairs, 
perched  on  some  tree  or  fence,  while  the  male  carols  to  his 
mate,  or  walking  on  the  ground  in  search  of  their  food,  which 
consists  of  seeds,  of  spiders,  beetles,  and  other  insects.  There 
they  build  their  ne&ts,  which  are  by  no  means  easily  found, 
being  often  artificially  concealed  by  the  parents,  and  naturally 
protected  by  the  uniformity  of  the  long  grass  everywhere  near 
them.  In  the  latter  part  of  July,  or  in  August,  the  males 
gradually  lose  their  summer-dress,  and  resemble  the  females, 
with  whom,  as  well  as  with  their  young,  they  associate,  some- 
times in  great  numbers.  They  then  frequent  the  sea-shore, 
visit  the  grain-fields,  and  do  mischief  by  eating  oats  and  corn. 
They  also  begin  their  journey  to  the  South,  and  may  be  heard 
flying  overhead  even  at  night,  when  their  note  is  distinct  in  the 
general  silence.  What  instinct  or  sense  enables  birds  to  mi- 
grate so  accurately  is  yet  unexplained,  but  how  they  can,  as 
many  species  do,  travel  several  hundred  miles  by  night,  is  still 
further  a  mystery. 

The  Reed-birds  "about  the  middle  of  August"  says  Wilson 
"revisit  Pennsylvania  on  their  rout  to  winter  quarters.  For 
several  days  they  seem  to  confine  themselves  to  the  fields  and 
uplands ;  but  as  soon  as  the  seeds  of  the  reed  are  ripe  they 
resort  to  the  shores  of  the  Delaware  and  Schuylkill  in  multi- 
tudes ;  and  these  places,  during  the  remainder  of  their  stay, 


OF   NEW  ENGLAND.  245 

appear  to  be  their  grand  rendezvous.  The  .reeds,  or  wild  oats, 
furnish  them  with  such  abundance  of  nutritious  food,  that  in 
a  short  time  they  become  extremely  fat ;  and  are  supposed, 
by  some  of  our  epicures,  to  be  equal  to  the  famous  Ortolans 
of  Europe.  Their  note  at  this  season  is  a  single  chink,  and 
is  heard  over  head,  with  little  intermission,  from  morning  to 
night."  After  attacking  the  rice-fields  of  the  South,  many 
proceed  to  the  West  Indies,  reaching  Jamaica,  where  they  are 
called  "Butter-birds,"  uin  the  month  of  October."  Gosse 
adds  that  they  visit  "  the  guinea-grass  fields,  in  flocks  amount- 
ing to  five  hundred  or  more." 

(d).  What  adjectives  can  describe  the  Bobolink  in  May  and 
June  ?  He  is  jolly,  rollicking,  madly  happy,  recklessly  happy. 
Nothing  sober  pleases  him  ;  he  perches  on  the  elm,  because  its 
branches  rock  and  wave  in  the  breeze  more  than  those  of 
another  tree ;  then  he  spreads  his  wings,  and,  bursting  into 
ecstatic  song,  sails  to  the  ground,  perhaps  caresses  his  mate, 
then  soars  again  to  another  perch,  and  again  carols.  Who 
imagines  that  he  has  any  control  over  his  merry  music  ?  It  is 
a  scientific  fiction.  His  song  is  like  champagne,  and  his  notes 
bubble  out,  when  he  opens  his  bill ;  and  yet,  just  as  too  much 
champagne  is  surfeiting,  so  may  be  too  much  of  his  merry 
jingle. 

From  his  notes  originate  his  name  "Bobolink,"  and  perhaps 
the  Indian  name  "Conqueedle"  (of  the  orthography  I  am  un- 
certain) ;  and  from  them  has-been  formed  the  following  amus- 
ing version  of  his  song,  which,  if  repeated  rapidly  with  a  rising 
inflection  in  each  part,  illustrates  it  very  well : 

"Torn  Noodle,  Tom  Noodle,  you  owe  me,  you  owe  me,  ten 
shillings  and  sixpence : 

"I  paid  you,  I  paid  you;  you  didn't,  you  didn't;  you  lie, 
you  lie ;  you  cheat ! " 

The  ordinary  note  of  the  Bobolink  is  a  peculiarly  metallic 
chuck,  but  there  are  also  others  less  often  heard,  some  of  which 
are  slightly  querulous. 


246  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

HI.     MOLOTHRUS 

(A)  PECORIS.  Cow-bird.  Cow  Blackbird.  Cow  Bunting. 
Cow-pen  Bunting,  etc. 

(A  common  summer-resident  of  New  England,  and  notorious 
for  the  practice  of  laying  eggs  in  the  nests  of  other  birds.) 


Fig.  12.    Cow-bird  (£). 

(a) .  About  7£  inches  long.  $ ,  iridescent  black ;  head  of 
a  warm  silky  brown.  9 ,  smaller,  entirely  brown ;  beneath, 
paler  (and  often  streaky?). 

(b).  The  eggs  average  *90X*65  of  an  inch,  though  greatly 
varying  in  size,  and  are  white,  thickly  sprinkled,  or  finely 
blotched,  with  brown  and  generally  faint  lilac. 

(c).  The  Cow-birds,  like  the  Cuckoos  of  Europe,85  present 
a  most  interesting  phenomenon  in  nature,  for,  instead  of  pro- 
viding for  their  young,  they  deposit  their  eggs  in  the  nests  of 
other  birds.  They  are  also,  unlike  all  our  other  birds,  polyg- 
amous, being  equally  without  conjugal  and  parental  affection. 
I  shall  here  follow  their  history  from  the  earliest  period  of 
their  life,  when  they  are  left  to  the  mercies  or  care  of  their 
foster-parents,  among  whom  I  ma}7  enumerate  from  my  own 
observations,  the  Blue  Birds,  Golden-crowned  "Thrushes," 
Maryland  "Yellow-throats,"  Black  and  White  "Creepers," 
Summer  Yellow  Birds,  several  other  warblers,  Red-eyed  and 
White-eyed  Vireos,  "  Chippers,"  several  other  sparrows,  and 


85 Our  cuckoos,  who  build  their  own  nests,  have  been  called  "Cow-birds"  from 
their  notes. 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  247 

the  Pewees  ;  also,  on  the  authority  of  others,  the  Goldfinches, 
Meadow  Larks,  and  Brown  Thrushes.  Commonly  one  egg, 
sometimes  two,  and  rarely  three,  or, even  four,  are  found  in  the 
chosen  nest.  I  am  satisfied,  from  indirect  evidence,  that  the 
eggs  are  often  laid  near  the  nest,  if  on  the  ground,  and  after- 
wards placed  in  it.  They  are  generally  laid  later  than  those 
of  the  rightful  owners,  though  sometimes  earlier.  'The  pro- 
prietors, on  discovering  the  intrusion,  occasionally  destroy  the 
foundling,  still  more  rarely  build  over  it  a  second  story,  or 
even  a  third,  which  becomes  the  nursery  for  their  own  young, 
or,  in  some  cases,  even  desert  their  home  ;  but  more  often,  after 
manifestations  of  their  displeasure,  they  adopt  the  helpless 
stranger.  As  the  Cow-bird's  egg  is  almost  invariably  some- 
what larger  than  others  in  the  nest,  it  receives  a  larger  share 
of  warmth,  in  consequence  of  which  the  others  frequently 
become  stale,  when  they  are  removed  and  destroyed  by  the 
parents.  Even  should  the  legitimate  eggs  receive  an  equal 
share  of  warmth,  those  of  the  parasite  are  first  hatched,  since 
they,  in  many  cases,  apparently  require  a  shorter  period  of 
incubation.  Thus  the  young  Cow-bird,  who  is,  as  I  have  once 
or  twice  observed,  hatched  in  the  middle  of  the  nest,  is  able  to 
dislodge  his  companions,  who  soon  perish,  while  he  grows  to 
fill  up  gradually  the  space  left.86  Carefully  nourished  and 
brooded  over  until  well  grown,  and  more  than  old  enough  to 
provide  for  himself,  he  at  last  leaves  his  foster-parents,  and, 
with  a  wonderful  instinct,  searches  out  and  joins  his  own  fel- 
lows and  kin.  The  Cow-birds  lay  from  April  until  the  middle 
of  June ;  each  female  probably  (from  analogy)  laying  four  or 
five  eggs  in  one  season,  and  presumably  at  irregular  intervals 
rather  than  in  regular  succession  from  day  to  day. 

These  birds  are  gregarious  throughout  the  year.  Before 
November  they  leave  Massachusetts,  and  migrate  to  the  South, 
where  they  often  associate  in  large  numbers  with  the  "  Red- 
wings "  or  other  blackbirds.  About  the  first  of  April,  they 


*8  AS  he  claims  all  the  time  of  his  foster-mother,  her  own  eggs  are  often  suffered 
to  decay  before  being  hatched. 


248  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

return  to  the  neighborhood  of  Boston,  where,  at  that  season, 
they  are  most  often  seen  in  small  flocks,  in  which  the  females 
predominate.  In  moving  about  the  country,  they  generally 
perch  on  or  near  the  tops  of  trees,  and  from  the  very  summit 
of  some  pine  their  notes  may  often  be  heard.  They  feed  upon 
seeds,  and  upon  insects,  particularly  beetles,  to  obtain  which 
they  frequent  roads,  pastures,  and  ploughed  lands.  From 
their  fondness  of  seeking  food  about  cattle  their  common  name 
has  arisen.  When  on  the  ground,  they  move  with  an  extremely 
awkward  gait,  which  is  ordinarily  a  walk,  though  occasionally 
more  rapid  in  the  pursuit  of  some  insect.  The  male  pays  his 
court,  such  as  it  is,  to  several  females  indifferently,  and  these 
latter,  when  ready  to  lay,  retire  from  the  flock.  They  become 
anxious,  skulk  about  from  bush  to  bush  and  tree  to  tree,  as  if 
troubled  by  a  guilty  conscience,  and  watch  the  motions  of  the 
smaller  birds.  On  discovering  a  nest,  they  seize  the  oppor- 
tunity of  absence  on  the  part  of  its  owners  to  drop  their  eggs, 
and  then  return  to*  their  companions,  relieved  of  anxiety. 
After  these  ceremonies  one  both  hears  and  sees  less  of  the 
Cow-birds  than  before,  until  the  autumn,  when,  joined  by  their 
young,  they  often  form  large  flocks.  They  are  then  chiefly 
dependent  upon  seeds,  *nd  are  less  common  in  pastures. 

(d).  There  is  something  ludicrous,  and  yet  pitiable,  in  the 
efforts  of  the  male  to  express  his  passions  musically.  It  is  of- 
ten as  painful  to  hear  him  and  see  him,  as  to  converse  with  one 
who  stutters  badly.  He  ruffles  his  feathers,  spreads  his  wings 
and  tail,  gives  a  convulsive  movement  to  his  body,  and  yet 
produces  nothing  but  a  shrill,  unmusical  duck-see.  He  often 
adds  to  this,  or  splutters  out  at  other  times,  a  chattering  call, 
quite  distinct  from  that  of  any  other  bird,  or  utters  a  few  low 
guttural  notes,  not  audible  at  a  distance.  He  has  in  common 
with  other  members  of  his  family  a  loud  chuck;  but  he  is  not 
wholly  destitute  of  musical  powers.  One  may  often  hear  in 
spring  from  the  top  of  some  tree,  a  clear,  pensive,  but  rather 
shrill  whistle,  usually  followed  by  a  few  similar  but  falling 
notes.  These  belong  to  the  Cow-bird,  who  also  whistles  some- 
times as  he  takes  to  wing. 


OF   NEW  ENGLAND.  249 

There  is  much  yet  to  be  studied  in  the  habits  of  these  birds, 
and  much  that  requires  the  attention  of  a  specialist.  Even  the 
ornithologist  who  devotes  his  time  to  his  proper  pursuit  is  too 
much  occupied  in  May  and  June  to  make  the  necessary  obser- 
vations. Few  monographs  in  Natural  History  could  be  more 
interesting  than  one  of  the  Cow-birds. 

IV.   AGEL^EUS 

(A)  PHOSNICEUS.  Red-winged  Blackbird.  Swamp  Blackbird. 
Marsh  Blackbird.  "  Red-wing." 

(A  very  common  summer-resident  throughout  Massachu- 
setts.) 

(a).  <£,  about  nine  inches  long,  lustrous  black;  shoulders, 
scarlet,  bordered  by  a  color  varying  from  brownish  yellow  to 
whitish.  9  ,  about  7£  inches  long.  Back,  etc.,  dark  brown 
or  blackish,  with  lighter  edgings,  median  and  superciliary  lines. 
Beneath,  white  or  whitish,  sharply  and  thickly  dark-streamed 
(except  on  the  throat) . 

(6).  The  nest  is  built  in  swamps,  and  on  meadows  or 
marshes,  either  on  the  ground,  when  it  is  generally  placed  upon 
a  tussock,  or  in  a  bush,  the  alder  being  frequently  chosen  for 
this  purpose.  Says  Mr.  Maynard :  "  I  have  found  the  nests 
on  an  island  in  the  marshes  of  Essex  River,  placed  on  trees 
twenty  feet  from  the  ground  L  In  one  case,  where  the  nest  was 
placed  on  a  slender  sapling  fourteen  feet  high,  that  swayed 
with  the  slightest  breeze,  the  nest  was  constructed  after  the 
manner  of  our  Baltimore  Orioles,  prettily  woven  of  the  bleached 
sea-weed  called  eel-grass.  So  well  constructed  was  this  nest, 
and  so  much  at  variance  with  the  usual  style,  that  had  it  not 
been  for  the  female  sitting  on  it,  I  should  have  taken  it  for  a 
nest  of  /.  Baltimore.  It  was  six  inches  deep."  The  nest  of 
the  Red-winged  Blackbird  is  generally  constructed  of  dry  grass- 
es or  partly  hairs  ( —  occasionally  also  of  roots),  which  are 
firmly  attached  to  any  neighboring  branches  or  stalks,  or  which 
form  a  very  neat  hollow  in  the  grass.  In  Eastern  Massachu- 
setts it  is  finished  soon  after  the  middle  of  May.  The  eggs  of 
each  set  are  four  or  five,  average  1-00  X  "75  of  an  inch,  and 


250  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME  BIRDS 

are  very  faintly  blue,  with  a  few  scrawls  and  often  blotches 
(chiefly  at  the  larger  end)  of  dark  brown,  black,  and  rarely 
lilac. 

(c).  The  Red-winged  Blackbirds  pass  the  winter  in  many  of 
the  Southern  States.  Wilson,  in  recording  his  observations 
there,  says  :  "  Sometimes  they  appeared  driving  about  like  an, 
enormous  black  cloud  carried  before  the  wind,  varying  its 
shape  every  moment.  Sometimes  suddenly  rising  from  the 
fields  around  me  with  a  noise  like  thunder  ;  while  the  glittering 
of  innumerable  wings  of  the  brightest  vermilion  amid  the  black 
cloud  they  formed,  produced  on  these  occasions  a  very  striking 
and  splendid  effect.  Then  descending  like  a  torrent,  and  cov- 
ering the  branches  of  some  detached  grove,  or  clump  of  trees, 
the  whole  congregated  multitude  commenced  one  general  con- 
cert or  chorus,  that  I  have  plainly  distinguished  at  the  distance 
of  more  than  two  miles,  and  when  listened  to  at  the  interme- 
diate space  of  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  with  a  slight  breeze 
of  wind  to  swell  and  soften  the  flow  of  its  cadences,  was  to  me 
grand  and  even  sublime.  The  whole  season  of  winter  that 
with  most  birds  is  passed  in  struggling  to  sustain  life,  in  silent 
melancholy,  is  with  the  Red-wings  one  continued  carnival. 
The  profuse  gleanings  of  the  old  rice,  corn,  and  buckwheat 
fields,  supply  them  with  abundant  food  ;  at  once,  ready  and 
nutritious  ;  and  the  intermediate  time  is  spent  either  in  aerial 
manoeuvres,  or  in  grand  vocal  performances,  as  if  solicitous  to 
supply  the  absence  of  all  the  tuneful  summer  tribes,  and  to 
cheer  the  dejected  face  of  nature  with  their  whole  combined 
powers  of  harmony."  Though  Wilson  does  not  deny  the  great 
injuries  which  these  birds  do  to  crops,  where  agriculture  is 
extensively  carried  on,  yet  he  estimates  at  the  time  of  his 
writing  that  they  ate,  in  four  months  spent  in  the  United 
States,  16,200,000,000  noxious  insects  ! 

The  Swamp  Blackbirds  are  to  be  found  in  summer  so  far  to 
the  northward«as  the  57th  parallel  of  latitude,  though  in  many 
parts  of  northern  New  England  altogether  absent.  They  are 
sometimes  the  first  birds  to  visit  us  in  spring,  though  generally 
preceded  by  the  Blue  Birds.  They  are  said  to  have  reached 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  251 

Massachusetts  in  February,  and  even  exceptionally  to  have 
passed  the  winter  here.  Ordinarily,  however,  they  appear  in 
March,  though  with  no  great  regularity,  the  males  preceding 
the  females  ;  and  previously  to  mating,  which  occurs  about  the 
first  of  May,  they  are  more  or  less  gregarious.  During  the 
period  of  arrival,  they  may  be  observed  flying  at  a  considerable 
height  in  the  air,  and  often  uttering  their  loud  chuck,  though 
sometimes  silent.  Later  in  the  season,  they  visit  ploughed 
lands  and  fields,  to  obtain  whatever  suitable  food  they  can  find, 
walking  over  the  ground  in  search  of  it,  and,  when  frightened, 
betaking  themselves  to  the  nearest  trees,  where  they  frequently 
cluster  in  large  numbers.  They  roost  at  night  in  bushy  mead- 
ows and  in  swamps.  When  the  weather  permits,  they  frequent 
these  by  day,  and  also  the  open  meadows,  from  which  their 
notes  are  constantly  heard.  They  soon  mate,  and  in  May 
begin  to  build  their  nests.  At  this  time  there  is  always  more 
or  less  commotion  in  the  communities  which  they  usually  form, 
and  they  constantly  fly  back  and  forth,  frequently  chattering. 
This  is  particularly  the  case  with  the  males,  who  often  perch 
upon  some  tree  to  sing  or  whistle,  and  who  consequently  make 
much  noise  about  their  family-cares.  They  are  certainly  most 
devoted  parents,  and  often  defend  their  nests  bravely,  even 
when  intruded  upon  by  man.  In  July  they  become  gregarious, 
some  flying  southward,  arid  in  the  early  part  of  autumn  they 
desert  the  inland  meadows,  resorting  to  their  various  feeding- 
grounds.  "  In  the  salt  marshes,  or  near  the  sea,  they  collect 
in  large  flocks,  which  not  unfrequently  contain  more  than  a 
thousand  individuals."  Hawks,  farmers,  and  unambitious 
sportsmen,  diminish  their  numbers  in  a  certain  measure,  but 
not,  I  suppose,  very  appreciably.  The  u  Red-wings"  fly  rapidly 
and  strongly  ;  moving  their  wings  with  more  swiftness  but  less 
regularity  than  the  Crows.  When  perching,  they  often  flirt 
their  tails.  Owing  to  the  nature  of  their  haunts,  rather  than 
to  any  natural  shyness,  they  are  not  easily  approached  very 
closely.  / 

(d).  Their  ordinary  note  is  a  loud,  mellow  chuck,  or  some- 
times check.    The  variety  of    sounds,   however,   which  they 


252  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

can  produce  is  correspondent  with  their  general  noisiness. 
The  chorus  of  a  flock  in  spring  suggests  the  combined  creak- 
ing of  many  wheelbarrows,  being  an  indescribable  confusion 
of  various  unmusical  notes.  Later,  their  chatter,  which  has 
some  resemblance  to  the  Cow-bird's,  though  distinct,  may  often 
be  heard,  particularly  when  the  birds  are  excited.  The  male's 
song  note,  "  conk-a-ree,"  is  familiar  to  all  who  live  near  his 
haunts ;  but  also,  as  if  not  satisfied  with  this  musical  (or  un- 
musical) effort,  he  frequently  warbles  during  the  season  of 
courtship.  Perching  prominently  on  some  bush  or  tree,  he 
spreads  his  tail,  slightly  opens  his  wings,  and  produces  what 
is  no  doubt  agreeable  to  his  taste  and  that  of  his  mate,  even 
if  not  wholly  so  to  ours.  It  suggests  the  Cat-bird's  song  de- 
prived of  melody.  He  has,  however,  a  far  pleasanter  note,  a 
clear,  plaintive  whistle,  which  is  sometimes  merely  "  pheu," 
but  which  at  other  times  consists  of  three  distinct  syllables. 

I  can  at  present  add  nothing  of  interest  to  the  history  of 
the  "  Red-wings,"  but  any  omissions  may  easily  be  filled  by 
the  study  of  their  habits,  which  is  attended  with  little  or  no 
difficulty. 

NOTE. — One  specimen  of  a  western  species,  the  Yellow- 
headed  Blackbird  (Xanthocephalus  icterocephalus) ,  "was  shot 
in  an  orchard,  at  Watertown,  about  the  15th  of  October,  1869." 
(Maynard.)  About  10  inches  long.  Black;  head,  etc.,  largely 
yellow  ;  wing-patch,  white.  Female  and  young ;  smaller,  much 
duller. 

V.   ICTERUS 

(A)  BALTIMORE.  Baltimore  Oriole.  Golden  "Robin"  "Fire- 
bird." "Hang-nest." 

(In  New  England,  a  generally  common  summer-resident, 
though  rare  to  the  northward.) 

(a).  About  7j  inches  long.  $ ,  with  the  head,  interscapu- 
lars,  wings,  and  a  part  of  the  tail,  black.  Otherwise  orange 
of  varying  intensity,  but  with  white  on  the  wings.  9  ,  with 
duller  colors,  the  black  being  skirted  or  glossed  with  olive,  and 
"sometimes  entirely  wanting." 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND. 


253 


(6).  The  nest  is  one  of  the  most -interesting  specimens  of 
bird-architecture  to  be  found  in  New  England.  It  is  pensile, 
being  from  five  to  eight  inches  deep,  and  is  generally  fastened 
(near  the  end)  to  the  bough  of  an  elm  or  orchard-tree,  where, 
often  beyond  the  direct  reach  of  all  enemies,  it  swings  with  the 
slightest  breeze,  though  secure  from  destruction  by  the  most 
violent  gale.  It  consists  of  plant-fibres,  dry  grasses,  and 
such  materials  as  may  be  accidentally  obtained,  such  as  thread, 
string,  yarn,  wool,  and  bits  of  cloth,  all  of  which  are  firmly 
interwoven.  Though  its  structure  and  shape  exhibit  much 
variation,  yet  it  is  usually  enlarged  near  the  bottom,  and 
warmly  lined,  most  often  with  hairs.  It  is  frequently  built  be- 


Fig.  13.    Baltimore  Oriole  (f). 

neath  a  canopy  of  leaves,  so  as  to  be  sheltered  from  the  rays 
of  the  sun.  In  Massachusetts,  it  is  generally  finished  in  the 
last  week  of  May,  or  about  the  first  of  June.  Dr.  Abbott 
believes  it  to  be  built,  when  in  exposed  situations,  so  as  to 
conceal  the  sitting  bird,  especially  from  hawks,  but  otherwise 
to  be  more  open  at  the  top. 

The  eggs  of  each  set  are  four,  five,  or  sometimes  six,  average 
•90  X  '60  of  an  inch,  and  are  white,  feebly  tinged  with  an  in- 
definite color,  or  bluish,  and  are  marked  (but  not  thickly)  with 
lines,  scrawls,  and  spots,  of  brown,  black,  and  often  faint  lilac. 

(c).   The  male  Golden  " Robins"  are  among  the  few  brilliant 


254  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

birds  that  come  so  far  to  the  northward  as  New  England. 
They  reach  Massachusetts  about  the  tenth  of  May,  and  are 
soon  followed  by  the  females.  Though  abundantly  distributed 
through  this  State,  they  are  not  common  beyond  it.  Wherever 
they  go,  they  attract  attention  by  their  bright  colors,  their  loud 
notes,  and  their  peculiar  nest.  This  latter  structure  requires 
the  labor  of  a  pair  for  a  week  or  ten  days.  It  is  most  interest- 
ing to  watch  its  progress,  but  I  have  generally  found  it  unsat- 
isfactory to  observe  birds  while  building,  so  far  as  regards 
learning  exactly  the  manner  in  which  they  work.  The  "  Fire- 
birds" are  exceedingly  clever  architects,  and  a  most  skilful 
knitter  would  be  puzzled  to  construct  a  piece  of  work  like 
theirs,  or  even  to  understand  how  the  original  manufacturers 
produce  it.  They  do  so  by  fastening  at  both  ends  a  piece  of 
string,  or  grass,  to  the  twigs  between  which  their  nest  is  to 
hang,  by  winding  and  twisting  it  around  them.  Having  fast- 
ened many  other  pieces  like  these,  so  as  to  cross  one  another, 
and  to  form  a  loose  pouch,  they  interweave  other  materials  with 
care  and  skill,  finally  adding  the  lining.  As  Nuttall  says : 
"There  is  sometimes  a  considerable  difference  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  these  nests,  as  well  as  in  the  materials  which  enter 
into  their  composition.  Both  sexes  seem  to  be  equally  adepts 
at  this  sort  of  labor ;  and  I  have  seen  the  female  alone  perform 
the  whole  without  any  assistance,  and  the  male,  also  complete 
this  laborious  task  nearly  without  the  aid  of  his  consort,  who, 
however,  in  general,  is  the  principal  worker."  The  young, 
soon  after  being  hatched,  clamber  to  the  edge  of  the  nest,  and 
are  there  fed  by  their  parents.  They  climb  well,  but  some- 
times tumble  to  the  ground. 

The  Baltimore  Orioles  frequent  our  orchards,  gardens,  and 
the  woods.  They  have  a  marked  fondness  for  elms,  and  among 
them  may  often  be  seen  in  villages,  or  even  on  Boston  Com- 
mon. I  do  not  doubt  that  they  are  beneficial  to  man,  for, 
though  they  certainly  destroy  the  blossoms  of  fruit-trees,  they 
are  chiefly  dependent  upon  insects,  and  check  the  ravages  of 
caterpillars  more  than  any  other  of  our  birds.  They  feed  also 
upon  berries,  and  occasionally  search  for  food  upon  the  ground, 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  255 

•where,  however,  they  are  but  seldom  seen.  The  male  gener- 
ally spends  his  time  in  wandering  from  one  group  of  trees  to 
another,  often  flying  vigorously  for  quite  a  distance.  Then 
perching  near  the  top  of  some  flowering  shrub  or  tree,  he  deals 
destruction  around  him,  while  he  whistles  exultingly.  He  is 
apparently  never  burdened  with  family-cares,  but,  on  the 
contrary,  suggests  the  jovial  man  who  frequents  a  convivial 
club. 

(d).  His  whistled  notes  are  loud  and  clear,  but,  though  sub- 
ject to  variation,  are  often  monotonous.  They  never  form  a 
continuous  or  rapid  melody,  but  the  same  sounds  occur  again 
and  again,  especially  his  loud  "  tu-wee,  tu-wee"  They  are 
much  less  often  heard  after  the  middle  of  June  than  before, 
and  finally  cease  some  time  before  his  departure  in  September. 
When  engaged  in  combat  (as  frequently  happens  in  May)  he 
twitters  ;  at  other  times  he  utters  a  querulous  arik.  His  ordi- 
nary note,  however,  is  a  harsh  chatter,  which  becomes  vehe- 
ment, whenever  he  is  excited. 

(B)    SPURIUS.     Orchard  Oriole. 

(In  Massachusetts,  the  northern  limit  of  this  species,  a  rare 
summer-resident.)  • 

(a).  About  seven  inches  long.  <£ ,  with  the  head,  inter- 
scapulars,  wings,  and  tail,  black ;  a  narrow  wing-bar,  white. 
Otherwise  chestnut,  or  chestnut-red.  9  ,  rather  smaller  ;  olive- 
yellow  or  olivaceous  above,  brownish  on  the  back,  and  yellow- 
ish (or  "greenish-yellow"  )  beneath.  Wings,  darker,  with  two 
whitish  bars. 

(&).  The  nest  differs  from  that  of  the  Baltimore  Oriole  in 
being  less  cylindrical  and  rarely  or  never  more  than  five  inches 
deep  ;  in  Massachusetts  it  is  seldom  finished  before  the  second 
week  of  June.  Wilson,  speaking  of  a  specimen,  says  :  "  I  had 
the  curiosity  to  detach  one  of  the  fibres,  or  stalks,  of  dried 
grass  from  the  nest,  and  found  it  to  measure  13  inches  in 
length,  and  in  that  distance  was  thirty-four  times  hooked  thro* 
and  returned,  winding  round  and  round  the  nest !" 

The  eggs  are  generally  smaller,  less  elongated,  and  more 


256  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

spotted  than  those  of  the  Golden  "Robin" ;  averaging  about 
•80  X  '60  of  an  inch. 

(c).  The  Orchard  Orioles  do  not  reach  Massachusetts  until 
after  the  middle  of  May,  and  leave  it  on  the  approach  of  au- 
tumn. I  have  but  seldom  seen  them,  since  they  are  rare  so  far 
to  the  northward,  though  said  to  have  occurred  at  Calais,  in 
Maine.  As  has  been  observed  by  various  authors,  they  are 
livelier  than  the  Baltimore  Orioles,  and  flirt  their  tails  in  a 
much  more  marked  manner.  Audubon  speaks  of  their  socia- 
bility towards  one  another,  observable  in  the  South,  where  they 
are  abundant. 

(d).  They  whistle  more  rapidly  than  the  Golden  "Robins," 
but  their  notes  are  very  generally  considered  inferior  and  less 
mellow. 

VI.     SCOLECOPHAGUS 

(A)    FERRUGINEUS.     Rusty  Blackbird.     Rusty  Grakle. 

(Not  known  to  occur  in  Massachusetts  except  as  a  migrant.) 

(a).  <$  ,  about  nine  inches  long.  In  "high"  plumage,  black, 
with  chiefly  green  reflections.  Otherwise,  black,  interrupted  by 
brown  or  "rusty."  9,  smaller  and  much  browner  than  the 
male.  * 

(b).  Mr.  Samuels,  in  speaking  of  several  nests  observed  by 
him  on  the  Magalloway  River  in  Maine,  says  that  they  "  were 
all  built  in  low  alders  overhanging  the  water :  they  were  con- 
structed of,  first,  a  layer  of  twigs  and  brier-stalks ;  on  this 
was  built  the  nest  proper,  which  was  composed  of  stalks  and 
leaves  of  grass,  which  were  mixed  with  mud,  and  moulded  into 
a  firm,  circular  structure,  and  lined  with  fine  leaves  of  grass 
and  a  few  hair-like  roots.  The  whole  formed  a  large  structure, 
easily  seen  at  the  distance  of  a  few  rods  through  the  foliage." 

The  eggs  average  about  l'OOX'75  of  an  inch,  and  are  bluish 
or  greenish,  much  spotted  with  brown,  but  apparently  rarely 
marked  with  scrawls  or  lines.  These  characteristic  markings 
are  also  sometimes  wanting  in  the  eggs  of  the  Crow  Black- 
bird. 

(The  irrelevancy  of  the  following  opening  is  due  to  the  omis- 


OF    NEW    ENGLAND.  257 

sion  of  an  introductory  paragraph,  relative  to  the  Rusty  Black- 
birds and  their  distinction.) 

(c).  As  is  well  known,  the  animals  belonging  (or  indige- 
nous) to  a  country  constitute  its/a?/na.  But,  in  a  large  country 
like  North  America,  it  has  been  found  that  different  districts 
(bounded  by  isotheral  lines)  are  inhabited  by  distinct  groups 
of  birds,  or  ornithological  faunae.  In  New  England  there  are 
two  faunaa,  the  Canadian  and  Alleghanian,  which  are  chiefly 
separated  by  the  approximate  latitude  of  44°,  or  the  isotheral 
line  of  65°.  This  line  is  just  to  the  southward  of  Mount  Des-  /  / 
ert  and  the  White  Mountains.  Most  species  belong  to  several 
faunas,  but  not,  as  a  rule,  to  merely  a  part  of  any  one.  There 
are  several  Alleghanian  species,  however,  who  have  not  been 
found,  so  far  as  I  know,  to  the  northward  of  Massachusetts. 
On  the  other  hand,  several  Canadian  species  have  been  known 
to  breed  in  this  State,  chiefly,  I  believe,  along  water-courses 
(such  as  the  Nashua  Valley),  or  along  mountain-ranges.  Birds 
may  often  be  detained  or  prevented  from  reaching  their  usual 
summer-homes,  and  therefore  obliged  to  remain  in  a  warmer 
climate,  especially  in  the  case  of  young  birds  who  do  not 
breed.  Some  species  arc  distributed  in  an  exceptional  man- 
ner;  thus  the  Red-bellied  Nuthatches  are  common  summer- 
residents  in  the  Canadian  district,  and  breed  in  the  Carolinian 
fauna,  but  not  in  southern  New  England.  I  have  likewise 
observed  that  the  Great  Crested  Ftycatcbers  are  more  common 
among  the  White  Mountains  than  in  Eastern  Massachusetts. 
The  Long-billed  Marsh  Wren,  moreover,  has  been  found  in 
Greenland.  During  the  migrations,  especially  in  autumn, 
birds  frequently  wander  several  hundred  miles  from  their  usual 
habitat,  and,  even  in  summer,  may  occur  to  the  northward  of 
their  usual  range.  Several  kinds  have  even  crossed  the  At- 
lantic, being  driven  to  sea  by  winds,  and  afterwards  alighting 
on  ships.  Finalty  in  the  list  of  wanderers  are  to  be  included 
escaped  cngc-birds.87 

The  Rusty  Blackbirds  pass  the  summer  in  northern  New 

«Iu  the  appendix  is  a  list  of  the  species  belonging  to  our  two/auna. 
18 


258  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

England  (chiefly  Northwestern  Maine  ?)  and  in  all  the  count- 
ries beyond,  except  the  Arctic  regions*  They  winter  in  the 
Southern  States,  where  they  are  frequently  met  with  in  large 
flocks.  They  reach  Massachusetts  in  March,  lingering  into 
April,  and  return  in  autumn,  when  they  are  most  abundant  in 
October,  though  often  seen  in  November.  Whilst  migrating, 
they  are  gregarious,  and  also  associate,  from  time  to  time,  with 
other  blackbirds.  They  frequent  wet  places,  particularly  if 
bushy,  though,  in  fall,  they  may  be  observed  in  woodland, 
often  resting  grouped  in  some  low  pine.  They  probably  do 
but  little  mischief  to  the  farmers  near  Boston,  though  they 
sometimes  collect  in  ploughed  lands.  Their  food  consists  of 
seeds,  insects,  and  Crustacea.  To  obtain  these,  they  pass  much 
of  their  time  upon  the  ground,  where  they  walk  in  the  manner 
of  their  family,  frequently  jerking  their  tails.  Though  much 
less  often  seen  near  the  habitations  of  man  than  the  Crow 
Blackbirds,  they  are  not  veiy  sl^  of  man's  approach,  usually 
flying,  when  disturbed,  to  some  neighboring  tree  or  bush. 

•  (d).  While  they  are  here,  their  ordinary  note  is  a  chuck  like 
that  of  the  next  species.  Their  song-notes  are  not,  as  I  have 
heard  them,  musical,  but  resemble  those  of  the  other  black- 
birds, particularly  when  united  in  chorus.  The  Rusty  Grakles, 
however,  are  comparatively  very  silent,  though  said  to  have 
in  their  summer-homes  a  musical  and  agreeable  note.  Mr. 
Samuels  says  that  a  female,  whose  nest  he  approached,  on 
flying  "  uttered  a  chattering  cry,  almost  exactly  like  that  of 
the  female  Redwing  when  disturbed  in  a  similar  manner." 

VII.   QUISCALUS 

(A)  PUUPUREUS  (var.  purpureus?)  Crow  Blackbird.  Purple 
Gralde. 

(In  Massachusetts,  a  common  summer-resident  in  certain 
localities.) 

(a).  The  following  description,  and  that  of  ceneus,  is  quoted 
(with  abridgment)  from  Messrs.  Baird,  Brewer,  and  Ridgwny, 
to  show  what  distinctions  these  gentlemen  believe  to  exist 
between  the  typical  Crow  Blackbird  and  the  variety  ceneus. 


OP    NEW   ENGLAND. 


259 


u  General  appearance  glossy  black ;  whole  plumage,  however, 
brightly  glossed  with  reddish-violet,  bronzed  purple,  steel-blue, 
and  greeen ;  *  *  *  wings  and  tail  black,  with  violet  reflec- 
tions, more  bluish  on  the  latter ;  the  wing-coverts  frequently 
tipped  with  steel-blue  or  violet.  Bill,  tarsi,  and  toes  pure 
black ;  iris  sulphur-yellow."  About  12 \  inches  long.  Female 
considerably  smaller,  and  less  lustrous. 


Fig.  14.    Crow  Blackbird  (&). 

(6).  The  nest  is  placed  from  six  to  sixty  feet  above  the 
ground,  most  often  in  an  evergreen,  or  perhaps  occasionally  in 
the  hollow  of  a  tree.  It  is  a  rather  coarse  structure,  often 
cemented  with  mud.  Its  chief  materials  are  small  sticks,  dry 
grasses,  and  other  vegetable  matter.  In  Eastern  Massachu- 
setts, it  is  finished  about  the  middle  of  May,  after  which  four 
or  five  eggs  are  laid.  These  average  about  1*25  X  '90  of  an 
inch,  and  exhibit  great  variation.  The  following  descriptions 
are  taken*  from  several  eggs  before  me.  (1)  Strongly  bluish, 
with  almost  imperceptible  lilac  markings,  and  a  few  spots  and 
thick  scrawls  of  blackish-brown.  (2)  Strongly  greenish,  marked 
abundantly  with  dull,  faint  brown,  and  a  few  blackish  scrawls. 
(3)  Light  cream}''  gray,  with  some  scrawls  much  subdued,  as  if 
washed  out,  or  washed  over  with  the  ground-color,  and  others 
heavy  and  prominent,  suggesting  a  tremulous  hand-writing 
made  with  a  very  broad-nibbed  pen.  (4)  Of  an  indefinite  light 
shade,  with  numerous  small  blotches  of  a  subdued,  dull  brown. 
(5)  Dirty  white,  minutely  marked  with  light  purplish  brown, 


260  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

and  one  blackish  blotch.  (6)  Very  light  greenish,  faintly  and 
evenly  marked  with  lilac  and  dull  brown.  In  short,  the  ground- 
color varies  from  a  rather  strong  bluish-green  to  various  faint 
and  indefinite  shades,  and  the  markings  (which  are  often  coarse 
scrawls  or  blotches)  from  blackish  to  light  and  vague  colors, 
all  of  which  are  for  the  most  part  dull,  the  brightest  being 
rustj^-brown. 

•(c).  The  Crow  Blackbirds  are  common  summer-residents  in 
southern  New  England,  though  very  much  confined  to  certain 
localities  (as  Cambridge),  where  they  live  more  or  less  in  com- 
munities. They  are  said  to  reach  Eastern  Massachusetts  in 
March,  but  1  have  not  observed  them  until  April,  when  they 
often  appear  in  very  large  flocks,  flying  at  a  considerable 
height,  and  commonly  moving  northward.  They  then  roost  in 
low  pine-woods  at  night,  and  during  the  day  resort  to  ploughed 
lands  and  fields.  If  frightened  from  their  roost,  they  rise  with 
a  loud  roar  of  their  wings,  and  many  noisy  exclamations.  In 
the  latter  part  of  September,  and  in  October,  they  may  be 
found  near  Boston  in  flocks  of  several  hundreds,  visiting  open 
woods,  for  beech-nuts  or  acorns  ;  also  lawns,  orchards,  a"nd 
farms.  While  thus  assembled,  they  continually  chatter  so 
loudly  as  to  be  heard  at  the  distance  of  a  mile  or  even  more. 
They  obtain  most  of  their  food  from  the  ground,  over  which 
they  walk,  occasionally  with  greater  agility  than  one  might  ex- 
pect. They  feed  upon  seeds,  small  nuts  or  sometimes  berries, 
and  various  insects,  especially  those  which  infest  the  soil. 
Though  in  this  way  beneficial,  they  do  great  injury  by  their 
depredations  on  grain-fields,  and  their  fondness  for  the  eggs 
and  young  of  other  birds.  Disagreeable  as  it  is  to  witness 
the  extermination  of  any  feathered  creature,  I  should  not  hesi- 
tate to  sign  a  death-warrant  in  the  case  of  these  robbers. 
They  are  remarkably  fearless,  and  unhesitatingly  familiar  to- 
ward man,  often  closely  approaching  houses  or  entirely  disre- 
garding the  various  scare-crows  employed  to  intimidate  them. 
Their  flight  is  somewhat  undulatory,  but  is  very  vigorous. 

(d).  The  Crow  Blackbirds  have  a  loud  chuck  or  check,  vari- 
ously uttered,,  an  occasional  chatter  or  whistle,  and  in  spring 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  261 

a  rather  unmusical  warble,  hardly  to  be  graced  with  the  name 
of  song.  When  united  in  chorus,  their  varied  notes,  which, 
though  unmusical,  have  a  certain  cadence,  being  not  disagree- 
able when  heard  at  a  proper  distance,  suggest  a  concert  of 
wheel-barrows.  The  Crow  Blackbirds  are  by  no  means  silent 
thieves. 


(B?)  PURPUREUS  (var.  ceneus).  Bronzed  Blackbird.  Bronzed 
Grakle. 

(In  Massachusetts,  perhaps  a  migrant  only.) 

(a).  This  variety  (recently  established,  whether  rightfully  or 
not  I  cannot  say)  is  described  as  follows  by  Messrs.  Baird, 
Brewer,  and  Ridgway.  "  Metallic  tints  rich,  deep,  and  uni- 
form. Head  and  neck  all  round  rich  silky  steel-blue,  this 
strictly  confined  to  these  portions,  and  abruptly  defined  be- 
hind, varying  in  shade  from  an  intense  Prussian  blue  to  brassy- 
greenish,  the  latter  tint  always,  when  present,  most  apparent 
on  the  neck,  the  head  always  more  olivaceous ;  lores  velvety- 
black.  Entire  body,  above  and  below,  uniform  continuous 
metallic  brassy-olive,  varying  to  burnished  golden  olivaceous- 
bronze,  becoming  gradually  uniform  metallic  purplish  or  red- 
dish violet  on  wings  and  tail,  the  last  more  purplish  ;  primaries 
violet-black ;  bill,  tarsi,  and  toes  pure  black ;  iris  sulpher- 
yellow."  About  thirteen  inches  long.  Female  smaller  and 
less  lustrous. 

(b).  The  Bronzed  Blackbirds  are  thought  to  build  in  hollow 
trees,  "  a  manner  of  breeding  now  known  to  be  also  occasional 
in  the  habits  of  the  purpureus."  The  eggs  are  like  those  of 
the  Purple  Grakle,  exhibiting  great  variation. 

(c).  The  Bronzed  Grakles  do  not  probably  differ  in  habits 
from  the  well-known  Crow  Blackbirds  ;  at  least  no  salient  point 
of  difference  has  yet  been  discovered.  In  New  England,  they 
are  summer-residents  in  Northern  Maine,  but  are  only  migrants 
in  more  southern  portions,  appearing  near  Boston  in  (April 
and)  October.  Their  chief  habitat  consists  of  the  Mississippi 
Valley  and  British  Provinces. 


262  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

§  18. .  The  CorvidSD  include  the  crows,  ravens,  rooks,  daws, 
pies,  and  jays.  All  those  of  the  eastern  United  States  are 
characterized  as  follows  :  More  than  seven  inches  long ;  bill 
very  stout,  but  pointed  ;  nostrils  concealed  ;  tarsi  scutellate ; 
primaries  ten,  with  the  first  short  and  only  half  as  long  as  the 
second.  The  sexes  are  alike  in  coloration. 

The  crows  and  jays  are  the  most  nearly  omnivorous  of  our 
birds,  and  much  the  most  mischievous.  Like  the  blackbirds, 
they  arc  social,  more  or  less  gregarious,  noisy,  and  almost 
wholly  unmusical.  Moreover,  they  are  partially  migratory. 
They  build  comparatively  neat  nests  of  sticks,  etc.,  generally 
in  evergreens.  Their  eggs  are  most  often  green  (or  brown), 
darkly  spotted  ;  with  four,  five,  or  sometimes  six,  in  a  set.  In 
this  climate,  but  one  brood  is  usually  raised. 

Our  Corvidce  are  divided  into  two  subfamilies : 

Corvince  or  crows  (genus  I).  Wings  much  longer  than  the 
tail ;  feet  large  and  stout ;  colors  dull,  or  dark  and  lustrous. 

Garrulince  or  jays  (II  and  III).  Wings  not  longer  than  the 
tail ;  feet  comparatively  weak ;  colors  dull  or  bright  (chiefly 
blue)  ;  birds  often  crested. 

I.    CORVUS 

(A)   AMERiCANUS.88     Crow.     Common  Crow. 

(A  common  resident  throughout  New  England.) 

(a).  Twenty  inches  long  or  les«.  Lustrous  black;  reflec- 
tions chiefly  violet. 

(6).  The  nest  is  placed  from  twenty  to  eighty  feet  above 
the  ground,  commonly  in  a  pine  (or  a  cedar),  and  often  so  as 


88 The  Raven  (C.  corax)  does  not  now  occur  in  New  England,  unless  in  the 
extreme  North-east.  It  is  twenty-four  inches  long,  lustrous  black,  "with  the 
throat-feathers  acute,  lengthened,  disconnected."  The  Fish  Crow  ( C.  ossifragus) 
may  occasionally  occur  on  the  shores  of  Connecticut.  It  is  sixteen  inches  long  or 
less.  Wilson  says  that  their  voice  is  "  hoarse  and  guttural,  uttered  as  if  something 

stuck  in  their  throat,  and  varied  into  several  modulations ,"  and  that  they 

frequently  sail  "  without  napping  the  wings,  something  in  the  manner  of  the 
Raven."  Mr.  VVm.  Brewster  is  confident  that  he  saw  a  Fish  Crow  at  Cambridge 
"  on  the  morning  of  March  16th,  1875." 


OF    NEW    ENGLAND.  263 

to  be  almost  entirely  concealed  from  beneath.  It  is  usually 
hollowed  to  the  depth  of  several  inches,  and  is,  for  so  large  a 
bird,  a  very  neat  structure.  It  is  composed  of  various  mater- 
ials (frequently  including  dry  grass),  of  which  the  most  char- 
acteristic are  generally  the  sticks  outside,  and  the  lining  of 
bark  (consisting  of  strips  taken  from  cedars  or  grape-vines). 

It  is,  in  Massachusetts,  finished  between  the  tenth  of  April 
and  the  tenth  of  May,  and  four  or  five  eggs  are  then  laid. 
These  average  about  1'GO  X  1'25  of  an  inch,  and  are  spotted 
sometimes  coarsely  and  sparsely,  sometimes  thickly  and  finely, 
occasionally  in  both  ways.  The  ground-color  is  a  green  of 
varying  shade  ;  the  markings  are  variously  brown,  olive,  dusky, 
and  rarely  purplish.  The  eggs  of  the  Raven  and  Fish  Crow 
differ  but  little  except  in  size,  the  former  being  more  than 
an  inch  and  three  quarters  long,  the  latter  much  less.  The 
Ravens  usually  build  on  cliffs. 

The  eggs  of  the  Crow  often  exhibit  abnormal  forms,  among 
which  Dr.  Brewer  enumerates  some  which  are  green  but  un- 
marked, some  which  are  white  but  spotted  with  reddish- 
brown,  and  one  which  has  different  grounds  on  the  opposite 
sides.  Another,  in  my  collection,  has  a  strong  bluish  tinge, 
like  that  of  a  thrush's  egg,  and  only  a  few  dark  spots. 

(c).  The  Crows  are  common  residents  in  Eastern  Massa- 
chusetts throughout  the  year.  How  far  to  the  northward  they 
may  be  found  in  winter  I  cannot  say.  During  that  season  they 
are  not  uncommon  near  the  sea,  where  they  most  readily  obtain 
food.  As  their  habits  vary  with  the  seasons,  it  is  interesting 
to  observe  the  changes.  I  shall  therefore  begin  their  biogra- 
phy by  detailing  the  life  which  they  lead  from  the  opening 
of  the  year  until  the  period  of  courtship. 

The  Crows  are  said  to  suffer  extremely  from  cold  weather  in 
certain  parts  of  the  country,  and  even  to  die  of  starvation  ; 
but,  near  Boston,  they  seem  to  fare  very  well.  At  night  they 
roost  in  thick  evergreens,  to  which  they  retire  promptly  at 
evening,  and  from  which  they  arise  in  the  morning  before  any 
other  birds.  As  they  are  very  sociable  (among  themselves) 
throughout  the  year,  they  are  seen  often  in  small  parties,  and 


264  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

occasionally  in  very  large  flocks.  They  obtain  most  of  their 
food  by  the  sea,  to  which  they  fly  in  the  early  morning.  They 
there  eat  various  shell- fish,  and  the  refuse,  such  as  dead  fish, 
which  may  usually  be  found  along  the  shore.  They  are,  how- 
ever, omnivorous,  eating  grain,  fruits,  insects,  and  all  sorts  of 
flesh  ;  and  a  winter-day  never  passes,  when  they  may  not  also 
be  seen  searching  in  the  interior  for  such  morsels  as  may  be 
found  there.  On  the  approach  or  arrival  of  spring,  their  num- 
bers inciease  appreciably,  and  mating  takes  place.  At  this 
time,  they  frequently  amuse  themselves,  before  roosting,  by 
playing  in  the  air,  flying  round  and  round,  or  chasing  one 
another.  This  forms  a  picturesque  sight,  especially  if  seen 
against  the  glow  of  a  setting  sun.  The  Crows  sometimes  be- 
gin to  build  so  early  as  the  middle  of  March.  For  this  pur- 
pose, they  gather,  chiefly  from  the  ground,  large  sticks,  which 
they  pick  up  and  carry  in  their  bills.  In  April,  when  the  softer 
materials  are  needed,  they  visit  fields  or  orchards,  and  pluck 
the  long,  dry  grass.  In  the  woods  they  strip  off  the  bark  of 
cedars,  and  from  the  pastures  often  obtain  cow-hair  or  horse- 
hair. They  are  so  wary  and  cautious  that  it  is  extremely  diffi- 
cult to  watch  them  while  building,  for,  on  the  discovery  of 
danger,  they  fly  about  in  a  purposely  indefinite  way,  so  that 
one  cannot  learn  more  than  the  general  direction  in  which  they 
cariy  their  materials.  If  their  nest  be  approached,  when  fin- 
ished but  not  occupied,  the  parents  are  soon  to  be  seen  over- 
head, frequently  cawing,  but  careful  not  to  betray  its  situation. 
After  incubation  has  begun,  they  sit  on  the  nest  bravely,  gener- 
ally not  leaving  it  until  the  tree  is  rapped.  Upon  this,  the 
female  disappears,  but  often,  in  case  of  further  intrusion,  soon 
returns  with  numerous  sympathizing  companions,  who  loudly 
proclaim  the  distress  of  the  community.  During  April,  the 
Crows  are  beneficial,  and  frequent  ploughed  lands  or  fields  for 
the  purpose  of  obtaining  various  destructive  insects.  But, 
when  obliged  to  provide  for  their  young,  they  themselves  be- 
come injurious  and  very  destructive,  exhibiting  more  than  at 
other  times  a  carnivorous  taste.  They  do  most  mischief  in 
destroying  the  young  and  eggs  of  various  eminently  useful 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  265 

birds;  and  this  is  the  most  serious  charge  which  can  be 
brought  against  them.  They  occasionally  kill  field  mice,  and 
even,  it  is  said,  chickens.  I  have  also  seen  them  feeding  on 
snakes,  but  whether  killed  by  themselves  or  not,  I  do  not 
know.  In  the  latter  part  of  summer,  and  in  autumn,  they  feed 
chiefly  upon  berries  and  grain.  The  young,  constantly  nour- 
ished by  their  parents,  grow  rapidly,  and,  at  the  end  of  about 
five  weeks,  show  no  pin-feathers,  appearing  in  full  dress  when 
half-grown.  They  can  then  walk  readily,  and  even  fly  for  a 
short  distance.  I  have  never  had  but  one  pair,  who  when 
found,  apparently  had  tumbled  from  their  nest,  as  a  dead  one 
was  lying  near  by.  Previously  to  experience,  I  had  vaguely 
supposed  it  necessary  to  feed  young  birds  at  least  once  an 
hour,  in  order  to  keep  them  alive.  To  my  surprise,  I  was  able 
to  reduce  the  diet  of  my  proteges  to  three  meals  a  day,  even 
before  they  were  well  fledged.  The  young  are  easily  nourished 
upon  meat,  particularly  if  raw,  and  upon  worms,  or  occasion- 
ally even  bread  soaked  in  water.  In  October  I  have  often 
remarked  a  scarcity  of  Crows,  who  probably  then  pass  to  the 
South,  to  be  replaced  by  others  from  the  North,  who  resume 
their  winter-habits  in  November. 

Our  Crows  walk  with  a  slow,  measured  step,  which  Audubon 
considers  "elevated  and  graceful."  That  author  adds  that 
they  frequently  alight  "  on  the  backs  of  cattle,  to  pick  out  the 
worms  lurking  in  their  skin,  in  the  same  manner  as  the  Magpie, 
Fish-Crow,  and  Cow-bird."  This  I  have  never  observed.  They 
fly  with  a  regular,  but  seemingly  slow  beat  of  the  wings,  which 
is  occasionally  relieved  by  sailing,  especially  when  the  birds 
are  about  to  alight,  which  they  most  often  do  at  some  height 
from  the  ground.  It  is  common  to  see  them  with  ragged  wings, 
as  if  injured  by  shot ;  but  the  loss  of  several  feathers,  even  if 
confined  to  one  side,  does  not  seem  to  interfere  with  their  nat- 
urally vigorous  flight.  As  they  often  fly  at  a  great  height,  and 
very  rarely  near  the  ground,  they  are  frequently  obliged  to  fight 
against  the  winds,  and  even  to  "tack,"  that  they  may  reach 
their  destination. 

The  natural  characteristics  of  the  Crows  are  sagacity,  cun- 


266  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

ning,  and  a  tendency  to  thievislmess.  The  difficulty  of  ap- 
proaching these  birds  with  a  gun  is  proverbial.  They  are 
brave  in  defending  their  nests  from  the  approach  of  other 
birds,  but,  in  turn,  are  very  commonly  pursued  and  annoyed 
by  the  pugnacious  King-bird.  They  frequently  follow  hawks, 
who  easily  avoid,  and  seemingly  disregard  them ;  and  they 
take  great  pleasure  in  mobbing  owls,  whom  they  surround  with 
noisy  greetings,  whenever  discovered  in  the  day-time.  Wilson, 
however,  quotes  an  anecdote  of  one  being  killed  by  a  large  owl 
at  evening. 

(d).  The  notes  of  the  Crow,  which  are  highly  unmusical, 
are  ordinarily  a  slightly  prolonged  caw;,  or  a  shorter  och  fre- 
quently repeated.  There  is  another  distinct  cry,  more  gut- 
tural, which  suggests  the  rattling  of  a  rope  through  a  pulley. 
This  I  at  first  attributed  to  individuals  with  "broken"  voices, 
but  I  am  now  inclined  to  believe  that  it  is  merely  peculiar  to 
the  season  of  spring.  It  is  perhaps  also  used  as  a  note  to  their 
3Toung,  whose  voice  is  feebler  and  distinct  from  that  of  their 
parents.  The  Crows,  in  producing  their  notes,  are  obliged  to 
gesticulate,  when  perched,  and  occasionally  (in  individuals)  to 
suspend  the  motion  of  their  wings,  when  flying. 

Of  all  our  birds,  the  crows  and  jays  are  doubtless  most 
worthy  of  being  deslroj^ed.  The  former  have  not,  however,  I 
think,  diminished  in  numbers,  as  Mr.  Allen  believed  to  be  the 
case  when  he  wrote  his  catalogue,  but,  on  the  contrary,  have 
steadily  increased.  They  are  in  summer  abundant  throughout 
a  larger  part  of  New  England. 

II.   CYANURUS 

(A)   CRIST ATUS.     Slue  Jay. 

(A  common  resident  throughout  Massachusetts.) 

(a).  11-12  inches  long,  and 'crested.  Above,  purplish-blue; 
beneath,  white,  becoming  distinctly  gray  on  the  breast,  and 
bluish  on  the  throat.  Wings  and  tail,  bright  blue,  more  or 
less  black-barred,  and  white-tipped  (except  the  primaries). 
Collar  and  frontlet,  black. 

(6).   The/  nest  is  generally  placed  in  a  low  pine,  or  other 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  267 

evergreen,  often  near  the  trunk,  from  five  to  twenty  feet  above 
the  ground.  The  chief  materials  are  usually  sticks  or  twigs, 
and  fine  roots,  which  form  the  lining.  Four  or  five  eggs,  aver- 
aging 1-20  X  "80  of  an  inch,  are  laid,  near  Boston,  about  the 
twentieth  of  May.  They  are  brown  or  green  (resembling  the 
lighter  shades  used  in  frescoing),  more  or  less  spptted  with 
subdued  brown  and  often  obscure  lilac. 

(c).  If  the  old  proverb  be  true,  that  "handsome  is  what 
handsome  does,"  the  Blue  Jay  is  not  to  be  admired,  in  spite  of 
his  strikingly  beautiful  plumage.  On  the  contrary,  he  is  to  be 
despised  as  a  murderer,  a  thief,  a  rioter,  and  a  disturber  of  the 
general  peace.  In  the  slaughter  of  babes  (if  I  may  extend 
the  use  of  this  word)  he  "out-herods  Herod."  He  sneaks  into 
the  nests  of  smaller  birds,  sucking  their  eggs,  or  killing  their 
young  (of  which  he  often  eats  the  brains,  but  leaves  the  rest), 
and  spreading  sorrow  wherever  he  goes.  In  the  stealing  of 
grain,  he  rivals  the  Crow.  He  even  sneaks  into  the  store- 
house, and  like  a  rat,  devours  the  corn  there.  As  a  leader  of 
riots,  though  a  coward,  he  does  not  hesitate  occasionally  to 
tease  the  hawks  (for  which,  says  Wilson,  he  sometimes  pays 
dearly),  or  to  take  advantage  of  the  owls,  when  confused  by 
the  daylight,  to  heap  insults  upon  them.  As  a  disturber  of 
the  general  peace,  he  delights  to  spread  terror  among  other 
birds  by  imitating  the  cries  of  hawks,  or  to  deceive  them  by 
pretending  distress  ;  no  less  often  do  his  cries  disturb  man,  and 
drown  the  sweet  melodies  which  one  might  otherwise  hear  in 
all  our  woods  and  groves.  On  account  of  his  bad  habits,  his 
noisiness,  his  fine  colors  and  crest,  he  is  frequently  shot ;  and 
the  number  of  Jays  near  Boston  has  lately,  I  think,  materially 
diminished,  whereas  the  cunning  Crows  much  less  often  fall 
victims  to  the  revenge  of  their  numerous  enemies. 

The  Blue  Ja}rs  are  residents  in  Massachusetts  through  all 
the  seasons,  but  in  winter  are  somewhat  rare,  as  they  also  are 
to  the  northward,  even  during  summer.  They  are  gregarious 
throughout  a  greater  part  of  the  3Tear,  but  are  necessarily  more 
or  less  separated,  as  is  always  the  case  during  the  breeding- 
season.  They  are,  like  the  Crows,  omnivorous,  but  they  have 


268  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

a  peculiar  fondness  for  acorns  and  beech-nuts,  which  they  are 
said  to  store  for  the  winter.  They  frequent  the  woods  chiefly, 
in  which  they  build  their  nests,  particularly  among  the  ever- 
greens. They  may  often  be  seen,  however,  in  open  lands,  but 
comparatively  seldom  on  the  ground.  They  fly  vigorously,  but 
not  with  the  steady,  monotonous  beat  of  the  Crows.  They  are 
said  to  be  amusing  pets,  having  in  confinement  the  gaiety  and 
roguishness  natural  to  their  tribe.  I  am  told  that  they  may  be 
easily  caught,  by  being  made  drunk  through  corn  dipped  in 
whiskey.  Grain  impregnated  with  poison  is  also  used  to  kill 
them.  Though  common  in  summer,  they  are,  perhaps,  most 
abundant  in  autumn,  when  I  have  once  or  twice  seen  as  many 
as  twenty  together  not  far  from  Boston.  In  winter  they'  are 
often  scattered,  but  in  spring  they  reunite,  remaining  in  flocks 
until  May,  when  they  separate  to  build,  becoming  less  impu- 
dent and  more  shy. 

(d).  Their  notes  vary  endlessly  from  loud,  characteristic 
screams  to  soft  and  musical  whistles,  though  all  are  somewhat 
characterized  by  the  same  tone.  The  Blue  Jays  are  very  noisy, 
and  possess  not  only  the  power  of  ventriloquism,  but  also  that 
of  mimicry.  They  imitate  the  cries  of  the  Sparrow  Hawk, 
and  those  of  the  "  Hen  Hawks,"  with  great  exactness,  so  that, 
were  not  these  sounds  so  often  heard  near  houses,  they  might 
easily  deceive  even  an  experienced  naturalist.  There  is  one 
note,  to  which  I  would  particularly  call  attention,  a  guttural 
cry  not  unlike  the  sound  produced  by  the  rapping  of  wood- 
peckers. This  may  be  heard  in  spring  especially,  and  is  ap- 
parently a  love-note.  The  Jays,  on  uttering  any  sounds,  are 
obliged  to  gesticulate  in  a  most  ludicrous  manner,  unless  when 
screaming  on  the  wing. 


III.   PERISOREUS 

(A)    CANADENSIS.     Canada  Jay.     "  Whiskey-Jack." 
(A  resident  of  northern  New  England  and  the  countries 
beyond.) 

(a).    10-11  inches  long.     Ashy  or  leaden  above  ;  dull  gray 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  269 

beneath.  Head,  and  tips  of  tail  and  certain  wing-feathers, 
dull  white  ;  but  hind-head  very  dark. 

(6).  A  nest  of  the  Canada  Jay,  found  by  Mr.  Boardman, 
and  described  by  Dr.  Brewer,  "  is  woven  above  a  rude  platform 
of  sticks  and  twigs  crossed  and  interlaced,  furnishing  a  roughly 
made  hemispherical  base  and  periphery.  Upon  this  an  inner 
and  more  artistic  nest  has  been  wrought,  made  of  a  soft  felting 
of  fine  mosses  closely  impacted  and  lined  with  feathers."  An 
egg  in  my  collection  measures  1*20  X  "75  of  an  inch,  and  is 
grayish,  evenly  marked  with  brown.  Unlike  other  specimens, 
it  is  green-tinted. 

(c).  The  Canada  Jays  do  not  much  inhabit  New  England,  so 
far  as  I  know,  except  in  Northern  Maine,  where  they  are  resi- 
dent. As  Audubon  has  apparently  had  many  opportunities  of 
observing  these  birds,  I  shall  here  quote  his  biography  nearly  in 
full,  as  I  have  already  quoted  one  of  Wilson's.  "  I  have  found 
this  species  of  Jay,"  says  Audubon,  "  breeding  in  the  State  of 
Maine,  where  many  individuals  belonging  to  it  reside  the  whole 
year,  and  where  in  fact  so  many  as  fifteen  or  twenty  may  be 
seen  in  the  course  of  a  day  by  a  diligent  person  anxious  to 
procure  them.  In  the  winter,  their  numbers  are  constantly 
augmented  by  those  which  repair  to  that  country  from  places 
farther  North.  They  advance  to  the  southward  as  far  as  the 
upper  parts  of  the  State  of  New  York,  where  the  person  who 
first  gave  intimation  to  Mr.  WILSON  that  the  species  was  to  be 
found  in  the  Union,  shot  seven  or  eight  one  morning,  from 
which  number  he  presented  one  to  the  esteemed  author  of  the 
1  American  Ornithology,'  who  afterwards  procured  some  in  the 
same  neighborhood.  This  species  is  best  known  in  Maine  by 
the  name  of  the  '  Carrion-bird,'  which  is  usually  applied  to  it 
on  account  of  its  carnivorous  propensities.  When  their  appe- 
tite is  satisfied,  they  become  shy,  and  are  in  the  habit  of  hiding 
themselves  amongst  close  woods  or  thickets  ;  but  when  hungry, 
they  show  no  alarm  at  the  approach  of  man,  nay,  become  fa- 
miliar, troublesome,  and  sometimes  so  very  bold  as  to  enter 
the  camps  of  the  *  lumberers,'  or  attend  to  rob  them  of  the  bait 
affixed  to  their  traps.  My  generous  friend,  EDWARD  HARRIS, 


270  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

Esq.,  of  Moorestown,  New  Jersey,  told  me  that  while  fishing 
in  a  birch  canoe  on  the  lakes  in  the  interior  of  the  State  of 
Maine,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  summer  of  1833,  the  Jays  were 
so  fearless  as  to  alight  in  one  end  of  his  bark,  while  he  sat 
in  the  other,  and  help  themselves  to  his  bait,  taking  very  little 
notice  of  him. 

"  The  lumberers  or  woodcutters  of  this  State  frequently 
amuse  themselves  in  their  camp  during  their  eating  hours  with 
what  they  call  '  transporting  the  carrion  bird.'  This  is  done 
by  cutting  a  pole  eight  or  ten  feet  in  length,  and  balancing  it 
on  the  sill  of  their  hut,  the  end  outside  the  entrance  being; 
baited  with  a  piece  of  flesh  of  any  kind.  Immediately  on  see- 
ing the  tempting  morsel,  the  Jays  alight  on  it,  and  while  they 
are  busily  engaged  in  devouring  it,  a  wood-cutter  gives  a  smart 
blow  to  the  end  of  the  pole  within  the  hut,  which  seldom  fails 
to  drive  the  birds  high  in  the  air,  and  not  unfrequently  kills 
them.  They  even  "enter  the  camps,  and  would  fain  eat  from 
the  hands  of  the  men  while  at  their  meals.  They  are  easily 
caught  in  any  kind  of  trap.  My  friend,  the  Rev.  JOHN  BACH- 
MAN,  informed  me  that  when  residing  in  the  State  of  New  York, 
he  found  one  caught  in  a  snare  which  had  been  set  with  many 
others  for  the  common  Partridge  or  '  Quail,'  one  of  which  the 
Jay  had  commenced  eating  before  he  was  himself  caught. 

"  In  the  winter  they  are  troublesome  to  the  hunters,  espec- 
iall}"  when  the  ground  is  thickly  covered  with  snow,  and  food 
consequently  scarce,  for,  at  such  a  time,  they  never  meet  with 
a  Deer  or  Moose  hung  on  a  tree,  without  mutilating  it  as  much 
as  in  their  power.  In  the  Bay  of  Funcly  I  observed,  several 
mornings  in  succession,  a  Canada  Jay  watching  the  departure 
of  a  Crow  from  her  nest,  after  she  had  deposited  an  egg. 
When  the  Crow  flew  off,  the  cunning  Jay  immediately  repaired 
to  the  nest,  and  carried  away  the  egg.  I  have  heard  it  said 
that  the  Canada  Jay  sometimes  destro}7s  the  3*oung  of  other 
birds  of  its  species,  for  the  purpose  of  feeding  its  own  with 
them  ;  but  not  having  witnessed  such  an  act,  I  cannot  vouch 
for  the  truth  of  the  report,  which  indeed  appears  to  me  too 
monstrous  to  be  credited. 


OF    NEW   ENGLJBJD.  271 

"I  have  often  been  delighted  by  the  sight  of  their  grace- 
ful movements  on  al:ghting  after  removing  from  one  tree  to 
another,  or  while  flying  across  a  road  or  a  piece  of  water. 
They  have  an  odd  way  of  nodding  their  head,  and  jerking  their 
body  and  tail,  while  they  emit  their  curiously  diversified  notes, 
which  at  times  resemble  a  low  sort  of  mewing,  at  others  the 
sound  given  out  by  an  anvil  lightly  struck  with  a  hammer. 
They  frequently  alight  about  the  middle  of  a  tree,  and  hop 
with  airy  grace  from  one  branch  to  another  until  they  reach 
the  very  top.  when  they  remove  to  another  tree,  and  thus  pro- 
ceed through  the  woods.  Their  flight  resembles  that  of  the 
Blue  Jay,  although  I  do  not  consider  it  quite  so  firm  or  pro- 
tracted. 

"  Tire  Canada  Jay  breeds  in  Maine,  in  New  Brunswick, 
Nova  Scotia,  Newfoundland,  and  Labrador.  It  begins  so  early 
as  February  or  March  to  form  its  nest,  which  is  placed  in 
the  thickest  part  of  a  fir  tree,  near  the  trunk,  and  at  a  height 
of  from  five  to  ten  feet.  The  exterior  is  composed  of  dry 
twigs,  with  moss  and  grass,  and  the  interior,  which  is  flat,  is 
formed  of  fibrous  roots.  The  eggs,  which  are  from  four  to  six, 
are  of  a  light  grey  color,  faintly  marked  with  brown.  Only 
one  brood  is  raised  in  the  season.  I  found  the  young  follow- 
ing their  parents  on  the  27th  of  June,  1833,  at  Labrador,  where 
I  shot  both  old  and  young,  while  the  former  was  in  the  act  of 
feeding  the  latter." 

The  remainder  of  Audubon's  biography  is  chiefly  quotations 
from  other  authors,  or  descriptions  of  the  birds.  The  follow- 
ing paragraph  is,  however,  of  interest.  Still  referring  to  the 
Canadian  Jay,  Audubon  says  : 

"  Its  range  is  very  extensive,  as  I  have  specimens  procured 
by  Mr.  TOWNSEND  on  the  Columbia  River,  and  it  has  been  ob- 
served by  Dr.  RICHARDSON  as  far  northward  as  lat  G5°.  The 
former  of  these  naturalists  states  that  he  found  'these  birds  at 
the  site  of  old  Fort  Astoria,  on  the  Columbia  river.  They  wero 
very  noisy  and  active  ;  the  voice  is  strong  and  harsh.  The 
Indians  however  say  that  thay  are  rarely  seen,  and  that  they 
do  not  breed  hereabouts/  Mr.  TITIAN  PEALE  has  obtained  it 


. 

272  LAXD-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

in  the  neighborhood  of  Philadelphia,  and  I  have  the  body  of 
one  procured  there  by  himself  in  October,  1836." 

(d).  The  cry  of  the  Canada  Jays  seemed  to  Mr.  Samuels 
like  that  of  the  Blue  Jay,  to  Mr.  Maynard,  like  that  of  the 
lynx.  These  birds  have  also  a  low  chatter,  but  their  notes 
vary,  like  those  of  their  familiar  relatives,  though  not,  so  far 
as  I  know,  ever  imitative . 

§  19.  The  Tyrannidse  (or  true  flycatchers)  are  the  sole 
North  American  representatives  of  the  Clamatores,69  and  in 
turn  are  themselves  represented  only  by  the  Tymnnince  or 
typical  flycatchers.  (With  the  exception  of  the  PyrocepJiali) 
they  are  characterized  as  follows.  Sexes  alike  in  coloration  ; 
colors  plain,  being  green,  brown,  or  gray,  usually  olive-tinted, 
yellow  and  white.  Birds,  subcrested,  or  with  erectile  crown- 
feathers.  Bill  about  one  third  as  deep  as  long,  but  half  as 
wide,  conspicuously  hooked,  notched,  and  bristled  (PI.  I,  figs. 
20,  21)  ;  mandibles  rather  thin  and  hollow  ;  tarsi  scutellate  as  al- 
ready described  ;  primaries  ten,  tail-feathers  twelve.  (Fig.  15.) 
The  ftycatchers  are  eminently  insectivorous  and  migratory, 
though  some  species  feed  partly  upon  berries,  and  migrate  quite 
late  in  the  fall.  They  are,  as  a  rule,  rather  pugnacious,  and 
are  never  gregarious.  They  rarely  touch  the  ground,  though 
not  possessed  of  much  power  of  flight.  They  are,  however, 
admirabty  clever  on  the  wing,  and,  darting  from  their  posts 
of  observation  into  the  air,  often  snap  up  several  insects  at  a 
time,  and  with  distinct  clicks  of  the  bill.  They  are  extremely 
energetic,  and  often  show  it  in  their  indefinably  characteristic 
voice,  which,  though  never  strictly  musical,  is  yet  pleasing  and 
striking.  The  Great  Crested  Flycatchers  build  their  nests  in 
the  hollows  of  trees,  and  the  Pewees  about  buildings  or  on 
rocks ;  but  the  others  build  their  nests  (varying  in  neatness) 
in  bushes  or  trees.  The  eggs  are  four  or  five,  and  white, 
creamy,  or  buff,  in  most  cases  unmarked  or  spotted  with  brown 
and  lilac. 

69  See  beginning  of  Chapter  I. 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  273 

The  three  genera  of  smaller  flycatchers  may  be  distinguished 
as  follows : 

Sayornis  (III).  Tail  forked,  frequently  flirted  ;  tarsus  longer 
than  the  middle  toe.  Contopus  (IV).  Tail  slightly  forked, 
never  (?)  flirted ;  tarsus  shorter  than  the  middle  toe.  Empi- 
donax  (V).  Tail  even  or  rounded,  and  depressed  upon  the 
utterance  of  the  very  abrupt  energetic,  som^-note,  when  the 
head  is  thrown  back  also. 

I.   TYRANNUS 

(A)  CAROLINENSIS.  (Tyrant  Flycatcher.)  King-bird.  Bee 
"Martin."  Field  "Martin." 

(A  common  summer-resident  in  New  England.) 

(a).  About  eight  inches  long.  Above,  very  dark  gray, 
slightly  brownish  on  the  wings.  Crown  and  tail,  black ;  the 
latter  broadly  white-tipped,  the  former  with  erectile  crown- 
feathers  touched  with  orange  or  vermilion.  (Many  wing- 
feathers,  and  the  outermost  tail-feathers,  white-edged.) 

[The  Gray  King-bird  (T.  Dominicensis)  is  about  nine  inches 
long,  and  is  rather  grayer,  with  the  "tail  conspicuously  forked," 
and  not  broadly  white-tipped.  "An  immature  specimen  was 
taken  by  Mr.  Charles  Goodall,  at  Lynn,  on  October  23,  1868  ;" 
"its  usual  habitat  being  Florida  and  the  West  Indies."] 

(b).  The  nest  of  our  King-bird  is  commonly  placed,  from 
five  to  fifteen  feet  above  the  ground,  in  a  horizontal  fork,  or  on 
the  limb,  of  an  orchard-tree.  Sometimes  it  is  built,  even 
nearer  to  the  ground,  in  the  crotch  of  a  low  sapling  or  stout 
bush,  in  some  field  or  pasture.  It  is  composed  of  the  fine 
stalks  of  various  weeds  and  grasses,  intermixed  with  plant- 
down,  to  which  are  often  attached  bits  of  "sweet  fern,"  dead 
leaves,  or  moss,  and  it  is  frequently  lined  with  horse-hairs.  It 
is,  in  this  State,  finished  about  the  first  of  June.  The  eggs  of 
each  set  are  four  or  five,  and  average  1*00  X  '75  of  an  inch. 
They  are  creamy-white,  with  a  few  large  spots  of  lilac,  and 
umber,  or  occasionally  reddish-brown.  These  spots  are  some- 
times replaced  by  blotches,  and,  in  two  specimens  before  me, 
by  large  splashes  of  several  shades  of  brown. 
10 


274  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

(c).  The  male  King-bird  is  so  well  known  for  his  pugnacity 
from  the  time  of  mating  until  liis  young  are  reared,  that  it  is 
scarcely  necessary  for  me  more  than  to  allude  to  this  important 
trait  in  his  character.  He  particularly  dislikes  Crows,  whom 
he  often  pursues  for  at  least  half  a  mile.  As  he  generally 
teases  them  tyy  descending  on  their  backs,  he  is  frequently 
obliged  to  mount  to  a  considerable  height  in  the  air.  From  his 
courage  in  driving  away  from  his  summer-home  both  hawks 
and  crows,  he  deserves  protection  among  the  farmers,  and, 
though  he  may  occasionally  feed  upon  bees,  he  destroys  an 
immense  number  of  other  winged  insects,  upon  which  he  chiefly 
depends  for  food. 

The  King-birds  are  common  summer- residents  almost 
throughout  New  England,  but  they  inhabit  principally  culti- 
vated lands  and  populated  districts.  They  frequent  orchards, 
gardens,  and  fields,  rarely  or  never  resorting  to  the  woods. 
On  the  contrary,  they  may  often  be  seen  immediately  about 
houses,  especially  on  farms.  They  reach  Massachusetts  in  the 
second  week  of  .May,  and  leave  it  in  September.  ,  They  are 
never,  whilst  here,  strictly  gregarious,  but  small  parties  of 
three  or  four  may  often  be  seen  in  spring.  It  is  common  to 
see  two  males  paying  attentions  to  a  female.  The  victorious 
one  soon  after  follows  his  mate  to  search  for  a  building-site. 
I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  among  all  birds  the  female  has 
most  to  do  in  the  selection  of  a  situation  for  her  nest,  as  is 
very  natural,  since,  she  is  generally  the  chief  builder  and  oc- 
cupant. 

The  King-birds  feed  almost  exclusively  upon  winged  insects, 
which  they  seize  with  a  click  of  the  bill,  and  in  the  manner  of 
all  true  flycatchers.  They  perch  on  some  bough,  fence,  or  wire, 
carefully  watching  for  their  prey,  then  make  a  sally,  and  snap 
up  a  fly  or  even  several,  often  returning  to  their  former  post, 
which  is  usually  not  far  from  the  ground,  being  sometimes 
merely  the -stalk  of  a  weed.  They  also  vary  this  mode  of  cap- 
ture, by  darting  upon  some  insect  in  the  grass,  or  by  hovering 
and  skimming  over  the  surface  of  the  water.  They  usually 
fly  with  a  rapid,  nervous  beat  of  the  wing,  and  frequently  hover, 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  275 

either  to  reconnoitre,  or  to  feed  from  some  fi>ck  of  gnats  who 
are  likewise  hovering  and  swarming  in  the  air.  They  bathe  by 
plunging  into  the  water,  after  which  they  fly  to  some  twig,  and 
dress  their  plumage.  They  perch  rather  erectly,  and  rarely 
alight  upon  the  ground,  unless  to  pick  up  something  for  their 
nests. 

(d).  Their  notes  are  shrill  twitters,  which  often  resemble 
those  of  the  swallows.  They  are  loud,  sharp,  and  rather  ve- 
hement. Among  them  may  be  heard  the  syllable  king,  which 
constantly  recurs.  Though  the  King-birds  are  plainly  dressed-, 
and  though  they  have  no  song,  they  are  entitled  to  both  our 
respect  and  affection. 

II.   MYIARCHUS 

(A)  CRINITUS.     Great  Crested  Flycatcher. 

(In  New  England,  a  rather  rare  summer- resident.) 

(a).  About  nine  inches  long.  Crown-feathers  erectile,  often 
forming  a  loose  crest,  and  dark-centred.  Above,  "  dull  green- 
ish olive,"  inclining  to  dusky  on  the  wings  and  tail.  Beneath, 
pale  3Tellow  ;  but  throat  gray  (or  "pale  ash").  Tail-feathers, 
largely  chestnut ;  primaries  edged  with  the  same.  (Rest  of 
the  wing  with  much  white  edging,  forming  two  inconspicuous 
bars.  Outer  tail-feathers  edged  with  yellow.) 

(I)}.  The  nest  and  eggs  differ  strikingly  from  those  of  all 
our  other  birds.  The  nest,  which  in  New  England  is  finished 
in  the  first  or  second  week  of  June,  may  be  found  in  woods  or 
orchards.  It  consists  of  a  few  materials,  placed  in  the  hollow 
of  a  tree,  among  which  cast-off  snake-skins  are  almost  inva- 
riably to  be  found.  The  eggs  of  each  set  are  four  or  five,  and 
average  about  l-OOX'75  of  an  inch.  They  are  buff  or  creamy, 
spotted  with  lilac,  and  curiously  streaked,  or  "  scratched," 
with  purplish  and  a  winy  brown. 

(c).  The  Great  Crested  Flycatchers  are  summer-residents  in 
all  the  States  of  New  England,  but  they  are  apparently  no- 
where common.  They  reach  Massachusetts  about  the  middle 
of  May,  and  ordinarily  remain  there  four  months,  but  once,  so 
late  as  the  first  of  November,  I  saw  one  not  far  from  Boston, 


276  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

who  was  fat  and  in  excellent  condition,  .in  spite  of  the  cold 
season.  The  Great  Crested  Flycatchers  for  the  most  part  fre- 
quent woods,  though  sometimes  seen  in  orchards  or  in  small 
groups  of  trees.  They  rarely  enter  the  evergreens,  but  prefer 
some  collection  of  hard-wood  trees,  where  there  are  clearings 
and  tracts  of  dead  timber.  In  such  a  place  they  select  their 
summer-home,  over  which  they  assume  a  despotic  right,  and 
from  which  they  drive  any  other  birds  whom  they  may  con- 
sider as  intruders.  They  usually  remain  at  a  greater  height 
than  the  King-birds,  frequently  perching  near  the  tops  of  tall 
trees.  Moreover,  they  often  fly  more  rapidly  and  freely  than 
those  birds,  though  often  with  a  striking  similarity.  They 
catch  insects  in  the  same  manner,  and  feed  upon  them  during 
spring  and  the  early  summer  ;  but,  in  autumn,  unlike  our  other 
flycatchers,  they  seem  to  be  almost  wholly  dependent  upon 
various  berries,  among  which  may  be  mentioned  huckleberries. 
In  the  latter  season,  they  may  occasionally  be  seen  in  family 
parties,  but,  in  spring,  I  have  never  observed  more  than  two 
together. 

(d).  In  regard  to  their  notes,  my  experience  obliges  me  to 
differ  from  other  writers.  Wilson  and  Audubon  both  speak  of 
their  note  as  a  loud,  harsh,  disagreeable  squeak,  and  subse- 
quent writers  have  repeated  this  statement.  I  have  watched 
the  Great  Crested  Flycatchers  many  times  at  all  seasons,  ex- 
cept in  winter,  for  the  express  purpose  of  hearing  this  cr}r,  but 
I  have  never  heard  them  utter  any  sound  to  which  the  above 
description  is  applicable.  On  the  contrary,  I  have  at  all  times 
heard  them  utter  a  single  loud,  brusque  note  (not  unlike  the 
ordinary  call  of  the  Quail),  which  it  is  difficult  to  imitate  well, 
though  one  may  do  so  by  whistling  and  suddenly  drawing  in 
the  breath.  These  flycatchers  have  also  a  few  low  notes,  which 
are  likewise  whistled.  I  do  not  wish  to  deny  the  accuracy  of 
my  predecessors,  but  merely  to  state  that  there  is  certainly 
one  sound  familiar  to  me,  which  seems  to  have  escaped  their 
attention,  and  that  what  they  describe  is  very  probably  a 
querulous  cry. 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  277 


III.   SAYORNIS 

(A)  FUSCUS.  Pewee  (Flycatcher).  Phoebe-bird.  Bridge 
Pewee. 

(A  common  summer-resident  throughout  the  cultivated  parts 
of  New  England.) 

(a).  Seven  inches  long  or  less.  Tail,  forked ;  crown-feathers 
erectile,  and  very  dark.  Above,  dark  olive-brown,  in  autumn 
(after  the  moult)  approaching  olive-green.  Sides  always,  and 
the  breast  often,  shaded  with  the  same.  Under  parts,  other- 
wise white  (or  very  pale  yellow,  chiefly  behind,  and  brightest 
in  autumn.  Eye-ring,  edging  of  the  wings  and  of  the  outer 
tail-feather,  inconspicuously  white.)  The  throat  is  sometimes 
streaked.  Bill  wholly  black. 

(b).  The  nest  of  the  Pewee  is  most  often  built  on  a  beam 
or  pillar,  or  under  the  eaves  of  some  building,  occasionally 
those  of  a  bridge.  It  was  primitively  attached  to  a  wall  of 
rock,  either  on  a  cliff,  or  in  a  cave,  but,  so  far  as  I  know,  it  is 
no  longer  often  to  be  found  in  Massachusetts  thus  placed.  It 
is  rendered  firm  by  mud,  to  which  are  added  various  materials, 
of  which  the  most  conspicuous  is  generally  moss,  and  it  is  com- 
monly lined  with  horse-hairs.  The  eggs  of  each  set  are  usu- 
ally five,  average  about  -75  X  *57  of  an  inch,  and  are  pure 
white  (rarely  spotted?).  Near  Boston,  one  set  is  generally 
laid  in  the  first  or  second  week  of  May,  and  another  in  June. 
I  have  known  a  pair,  who  built  in  a  shed  partly  surrounded  by 
glass,  to  raise  three  broods  in  one  season,  of  which  the  first 
was  hatched  about  the  fifth  of  May.  An  egg  from  the  third 
set  measures  *65X'50  of  an  inch  or  less. 

(c).  There  are  few  birds  dearer  to  an  ornithologist  than  the 
Pewee,  and  no  birds  are  better  entitled  to  the  affection  of  a 
friend,  if  usefulness,  cheerfulness,  familiarity  towards  man, 
and  charm  of  manner,  deserve  our  regard.  In  fact  no  bird  is 
more  home-like  than  this  species,  who  is  almost  the  first  to 
announce  spring  at  our  very  doors,  and  who  is  the  foremost  to 
establish  his  home  where  we  have  established  ours,  and  who 
returns  persistently,  if  unmolested,  to  the  same  shed  or  barn, 


278  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

year  after  year.  Audubon  even  proved  in  one  case  that  the 
young  returned  with  their  parents,  thus  increasing  the  little 
colony  which  already  existed  on  his  plantation.  No  bird  is 
more  peaceable  or  less  jealous  than  the  Pewee,  who  looks  hos- 
pitably upon  all  his  neighbors,  and  it  is  common  to  find  several 
pairs  on  the  same  estate,  living  in  happiness  and  peace. 

As  I  sit  down  to  write  out  of  doors,  I  find  that  my  attention 
is  but  little  confined  to  my  biographical  labors.  I  have  placed 
in  the  shrubbery  around  the  piazza,  several  bits  of  cotton-wool, 
which  readily  attract  the  attention  of  the  various  birds  who 
are  now  building.  '  A  male  Redstart  is  singing  in  the  oak  on 
the  bank,  while  his  mate  cautiousty  approaches  a  vine,  from 
which  my  chair  is  scarcely  a  yard  distant,  and,  seizing  several 
shreds  of  the  wool,  flies  off.  Eager  to  discover  her  home,  just 
as  I  have  already  discovered  those  of  nearly  all  her  friends 
(and  mine  too),  I  step  on  the  lawn  to  watch  her  motions.  She 
flies  to  the  nearest  group  of  trees  and  disappears,  while  I  fix 
my  eyes  upon  the  cotton-wool,  to  watch  her  return ;  but,  when 
some  sound  causes  me  to  turn  my  head,  I  see  her  pulling  at  an- 
other piece,  in  the  opposite  direction.  How  cautious  she  is  of 
betraying  her  purpose,  and  what  a  vacillating  course  she  takes 
from  tree  to  tree  !  Is  she  not  evidently  an  unusually  cautious 
bird?  A  neighbor,  one  of  her  own  species,  without  waiting  for 
warmer  weather,  has  already  finished  a  nest,  and  laid  eggs,  in  a 
birch  on  the  edge  of  the  swamp,  and  a  "  Black-throated  Green," 
who  built  in  the  piazza-vines,  last  year,  showed  no  hesitation 
in  building  while  persons  were  near.  But  here  is  the  Red- 
start again  ;  she  is  now  refreshing  herself  by  catching  flies. 
It  is  after  nine  o'clock,  and  she  has  probably  worked  for  sev- 
eral hours ;  but  she  denies  herself  rest,  and  again  approaches 
the  vine,  this  time  to  gather  several  little  strips  of  bark,  with 
which  she  flies  directly  to  the  orchard.  As  she  enters  a  pear- 
tree,  pauses  a  moment,  and  then  flies  off,  I  feel  sure  that  her 
nest  is  there,  and  so  post  myself  close  to  the  trunk  of  a  neigh- 
boring apple-tree,  motionless  and  silent,  to  await  her  return. 
She  immediately  reappears,  and,  apparently  not  realizing  my 
presence,  enters  her  nest,  which  is  already  shaped,  and  firmly 


OP    NEW   ENGLAND.  279 

presses  her  materials  into  position  with  her  bill.  She  next 
gathers  something  from  a  tree  in  the  orchard,  but,  on  seeing 
me  as  I  move,  she  is  frightened,  and  utters  a  chip,  though  her 
mouth  is  quite  full.  Just  then  a  most  familiar  sound  falls 
upon  my  ear,  and  recalls  me  to  my  biography.  On  looking  up, 
I  see  two  Pewees  providing  food,  either  for  their  own  young, 
or  for  some  helpless  Cow-bird,  who  has  been  left  to  their  care. 
What  labor  they  are  obliged  to  undergo !  Probably  no  less 
than  a  thousand  insects  must  be  procured  each  day  for  several 
weeks.  One  spring,  when  the  season  was  backward,  and  the 
same  pair  were  behindhand  in  building,  they  proceeded  to  con- 
struct, side  by  side  in  a  shed,  two  nests,  which  were  finished 
at  the  same  time.  While  the  male  fed  the  young  of  the  first 
brood  in  one  nest,  the  female  laid  the  eggs  of  a  second  brood 
in  the  other  ;  but,  whether  this  was  their  original  design  or  not, 
I  cannot  say. 

The  Pewees  reach  Massachusetts  about  the  first  of  April, 
and  rarely,  if  ever,  before  the  last  week  of  March.  They  ar- 
rive singly,  and  the  males  seem  quite  dispirited  until  the 
appearance  of  their  mates,  when  they  at  once  assume  their 
usual  cheerfulness.  The  same  pair  return  every  year  to  the 
same  spot,  during  their  life-time,  and,  should  one  of  them  die, 
the  other  often  finds  a  new  mate,  with  whom,  in  the  following 
spring,  he  returns  to  his  old  quarters.  The  Pewees  arc  sum- 
mer-residents in  all  the  States  of  New  England,  but  in  the 
northern  sections  are  not  common,  though  elsewhere  abundant 
and  generally  well-known.  They  frequent  farms,  and  culti- 
vated or  open  lands.  They  are  nowhere  shy,  but  occasionally 
the  rapidity  with  which  they  check  their  course  on  entering  the 
building  which  contains  their  nest,  and  on  seeing  there  some 
person,  shows  that  they  possess  a  share  of  the  timidity  natural 
to  most  birds.  They  are  chiefly  insectivorous,  though  they  fre- 
quently feed  upon  berries,  such  as  those  of  the  poisonous  "ivy." 
In  hunting  for  their  usual  prey,  they  choose  a  perch  in  some 
open  spot,  and  rarely  at  any  great  height  from  the  ground. 
They  then  flirt  their  tails,  or  from  time  to  time  utter  their 
notes  ;  but,  on  seeing  an  insect,  they  fly,  and  commonly  seize  it 


280  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

instantaneously,  though  sometimes  obliged  to  give  chase,  which 
they  do  most  adroitly.  They  often  resort  to  the  edge  of  ponds 
or  streams,  where  gnats  or  mosquitoes  abound.  In  feeding 
from  a  swarm  of  very  small  insects,  they  frequently  hover  with 
the  body  almost  erect,  and  sustained  by  a  rapid  beating  of  the 
wings.  Their  flight  is  quite  characteristic,  but  cannot  be  well 
defined  ;  it  is  rarely  protracted,  unless  directed  toward  their 
nest.  They  never  alight  on  the  ground,  unless  to  pick  up  some 
material  for  building,  or  to  perch  upon  a  heap  of  earth.  In 
autumn,  they  are  not  confined  to  their  usual  haunts,  but  wander 
quite  freely  about  the  country,  though  rarely  to  be  found  in 
woods.  I  have  never  seen  them  near  Boston  later  than  the 
sixteenth  of  October,  and  a  majority  pass  to  the  southward 
much  earlier. 

(d).  The  Pewees  possess  a  greater  variety  of  notes  than  a 
superficial  observer  would  suppose.  They  have  a  loud  chip 
(more  or  less  characteristic),  being,  I  believe,  the  only  non- 
oscine  (or  unmusical)  birds  who  possess  this  note.  They  have 
also  a  wliit,  a  single  rather  melancholy  whistle,  but  seldom 
heard,  and  various  twitters,  of  which  some  are  querulous  and 
others  not  unlike  those  of  the  King-bird.  Besides  these  sounds, 
of  which  the  latter  are  heard  chiefly  in  spring,  they  utter  quite 
constantly  during  the  breeding-season,  though  much  less  often 
in  summer,  and  rarely  in  autumn,  their  familiar  and  cheerful 
note,  pee-wee,  which  is  subject  to  ny>re  or  less  modification. 
Occasionally,  in  April,  a  Pewee  darts  into  the  air,  and,  hover- 
ing or  fluttering  in  a  circle,  repeats  this  note  so  rapidly  and 
excitedly  as  to  produce  eccentric  music,  which  might  almost 
without  impropriety  be  called  a  song.  There  is,  I  believe, 
nothing  which  I  can  say  to  endear  these  birds  to  the  naturalist, 
more  than  they  are  now  endeared  to  all  who  know  them. 

IV.   CONTOPUS 

(A)    BOREALIS.     Olive-sided  Flycatcher. 
(A  rather  rare  summer-resident.) 

(a).  About  ?i  inches  long.  Tail  considerably  forked; 
crown-feathers  erectile  and  dark-centred.  Above,  of  an  inde- 


OF    NEW    ENGLAND.  281 

scribable  "  dark  olive-brown  ;"  sides  (almost  meeting  across  the 
breast),  shaded  streakily  with  the  same.  Under  parts,  other- 
wise white  or  yellowish.  Wings,  with  more  or  less  obscure 
white  edging.  Bill  black  above  only. 

(b).  The  nest  is  much  less  finished  and  artistic  than  that  of 
the  Wood  Pewee,  and  is,  moreover,  nearly  alwaj^s  placed  in  an 
evergreen  or  orchard-tree.  It  is  frequently  built  in  a  pine, 
from  fifteen  to  even  fifty  feet  above  the  ground,  being  placed 
in  the  fork  of  a  horizontal  limb.  One  before  me  is  shallow, 
and  is  composed  of  twigs,  fine  strips  of  bark,  stalks  of  field- 
weeds,  and  a  little  moss.  The  eggs  of  each  set  are  usually 
five,  average  about  -85X'65  of  an  inch,  and  are  in  Massachu- 
setts laid  in  the  second  week  of  June.  They  are  white,  or 
creamy,  spotted  with  lilac  and  reddish-brown. 

(c).  The  Olive-sided  Flycatchers  may  be  classed  among 
those  birds,  who  are,  at  least  in  Massachusetts,  neither  rare 
nor  common.  They  reach  this  State  about  the  middle  of  May, 
and  leave  it  in  September.  They  may  more  often  be  found 
among  evergreens  than  any  others  of  their  tribe,  and  most 
often  occur  in  orchards  or  among  pines.  They  are  expert  fly- 
catchers, and  have  the  habit  of  selecting  a  post,  frequently  a 
dead  stump  or  decayed  limb,  to  which  they  continually  return. 
In  common  with  other  members  of  their  family,  they  have  a 
quarrelsome  disposition,  in  consequence  of  whicli  they  often 
engage  in  broils,  even  among  themselves.  They  are,  however, 
no  more  gregarious  than  other  flycatchers. 

(d).  Their  notes  possess  the  tone  which  largely  character- 
izes this  family  of  birds.  Sometimes  they  are  merely  queru- 
lous whistles,  like pu-pu-pu  (often  somewhat  lengthened),  and 
at  other  times  form  a  distinct  song-note,  "eh  phebee,  or  h'phe- 
bea,  almost  exactly  in  the  tone  of  the  circular  tin  whistle  or 
bird  call,  being  loud,  shrill,  and  guttural  at  the  commence- 
ment." (Nuttall.)  These  notes  are  subject  to  marked  varia- 
tions, which  I  find  it  impossible  to  describe  satisfactorily. 

(B)   VIRENS.     Wood  Pewee. 

(In  Massachusetts,  a  common  summer-resident.) 


282  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

(a).  Six  inches  long  or  more.  Tail  forked  ;  crown-feathers 
erectile.  Bill  black  above  only.  Wings  always  with  two  nar- 
row whitish  bars.  Otherwise  the  coloration  is  essentially  that 
of  the  Common  Pewee  (III).  (See  p.  273.) 

(6).  The  nest  is  artistic,  and  in  its  character  quite  unique, 
though  in  some  respects  not  unlike  that  of  the  Hummingbird. 
It  is  composed  chiefly  of  fine  grasses,  or  weed-stalks,  which  are 
mixed  with  the  silk  of  spiders  or  caterpillars.  It  is  rather 
shallow,  and,  being  thickly  covered  outside  with  lichens,  seems 
a  part  of  the  moss-grown  limb  to  which  it  is  "saddled."  It  is 
usually  placed  on  a  horizontal  branch  of  the  oak,  or  some  like 
tree,  in  a  grove  or  rather  lightly  timbered  wood,  from  ten  to 
fort}"  feet  above  the  ground.  Near  Boston,  four  or  five  eggs 
are  laid  about  the  middle  of  June.  They  average  -70  X  '55 
of  an  inch,  and  are  buff  or  creamy,  with  a  few  large  markings, 
at  the  greater  end,  of  lilac  and  umber  or  reddish-brown. 

(c) .  The  Wood  Pewee  is  one  of  the  four  common  flycatchers 
in  southern  New  England,  and  even  in  the  northern  parts  is 
not  a  rare  summer-resident.  He  is  one  of  the  latest  migrants 
in  spring,  and  does  not  reach  Massachusetts  until  the  third  or 
often  the  fourth  week  of  May.  He  announces  his  arrival  by 
his  plaintive  notes,  which  lie  utters  in  his  favorite  haunts,  the 
woods  and  groves.  These  places  he  rarely  leaves,  for  he  is 
rather  reserved  and  unsocial,  having  little  to  do  with  man  or 
other  kinds  of  birds,  though  very  affectionate  to  his  mate  and 
young.  There  is  sometimes  an  air  of  seeming  melancholy 
about  him  which  is  quite  touching,  but  undoubtedly  he  either 
takes  a  pleasure  in  sadness,  or  else  he  is  not  sad.  He  is  not 
very  often  seen,  but  he  may  easily  be  observed  from  his  habit 
of  returning  to  one  spot.  I  have  known  one  to  choose  the 
dead  limb  of  a  pine,  to  which  he  resorted  every  evening  for 
about  an  hour,  and  sometimes  in  the  course  of  the  day.  There 
I  often  saw  him  with  his  mate,  but  since  the  building  of  their 
nest  the  place  has  been  deserted.  The  limit  of  his  wanderings 
from  his  nest  seems  to  be  about  one-eighth  pf  a  mile,  and,  to  a 
certain  extent,  he  may  at  certain  hours  be  found  at  nearly  the 
same  place  from  day  to  day. 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  283 

The  Wood  Pewees,  when  perching,  do  not  flirt  their  tails  in 
the  manner  of  the  Common  Pewee,  though  they  sometimes 
move  them,  when  nervously  quivering  their  wings.  They  usu- 
ally choose  a  perch  between  ten  and  forty  feet  above  the  ground, 
from  which  they  sally,  often  snapping  up  a  dozen  insects  at  a 
time.  Although  they  fly  quickly,  they  are  rarely  on  wing  for 
more  than  a  minute,  unless  playing  together  and  chasing  one  an- 
other through  the  branches.  They  frequent  almost  exclusively 
woods  and  groves,  either  of  pines  or  deciduous  trees,  either  dry 
or  swampy,  and  they  rarely  wander  even  to  orchards.  They 
resort  to  wet  places,  chiefly  in  the  evening,  when  they  are, 
perhaps,  most  active.  The  insects  which  abound  near  pools  of 
stagnant  water  afford  them  rich  repasts,  and  opportunities  of 
displaying  their  adroitness  to  its  best  advantage.  Audubon 
says  that  "this  species,  in  common  with  the  Great  Crested 
Flycatcher,  and  the  Least  Wood  Pewee,  is  possessed  of  a  pe- 
culiarity of  vision,  which  enables  it  to  see  and  pursue  its  prey 
with  certainty,  when  it  is  so  dark  that  you  cannot  perceive  the 
bird,  and  are  rendered  aware  of  its  occupation  only  by  means 
of  the  clicking  of  its  bill." 

(d).  The  Wood  Pewees  possess  a  sufficient  variety  of  notes 
to  characterize  several  species.  All  these  sounds  are  nearly 
whistles,  uttered  in  a  plaintive  and  often  a  drawly  tone.  None 
of  them  are  loud,  and  many  are  audible  only  at  a  very  short 
distance.  The  most  characteristic  of  these  notes  is  pee-u-ee, 
often  abbreviated  to  pee-u,  and  this  is  frequently  repeated. 
Other  syllables,  less  often  heard,  are  (c/i')  pe-o-e,  whit,  whit-pee, 
and  pu  pu  pu  pu  uttered  very  softly.  In  addition  to  these 
there  arc  certain  querulous  and  guttural  cries,  which  are  em- 
ployed chiefly  during  the  season  of  love.  The  Wood  Pewees 
become  more  or  less  silent  in  autumn,  but  I  have  heard  and 
seen  them  in  the  White  Mountains  so  late  as  the  17th  of  Sep- 
tember. They  usually  leave  Massachusetts  about  the  middle 
of  that  month. 


284 


LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 


V.  EMPIDONAX 

(A)   TRAILLI.     Traill's  Flycatcher. 

(Rare  in  Eastern  Massachusetts  ;  most  common  in  the  latter 
part  of  May.) 

(a).  Six  inches  long,  or  less.  Tail,  even ;  crown-feathers, 
erectile,  dark-centred ;  bill,  not  black.  Above,  dark  olive- 
green,  usually  tinged  with  brown.  Beneath,  white,  shaded 
with  the  color  of  the  back  on  the  sides,  with  grayish  on  the 
breast,  and  with  yellow  behind.  Eye-ring,  and  two  wing-bars, 
(yellowish)  wh'ite. 

(&).   The  nest  of  this  species  is  usually  placed,  not  far  from 

the  ground,  in  a  swamp 
or  near  a  brook,  and  fre- 
quently in  an  alder-bush. 
It  is  composed  of  grasses, 
stalks  of  weeds,  and  nar- 
row strips  of  barks.  Sev- 
eral eggs  which  I  obtained 
among  the  White  Moun- 
tains average  about  -65  X 
•50  of  an  inch,  and  are 
creamy,  or  pale  buff,  with 
a  few  dots  of  reddish- 
brown  at  the  larger  end. 
Dr.  Brewer  describes  oth- 
ers as  white,  "marked  al- 
most entirely  about  the  larger  end  with  larger  and  well-de- 
fined spots  and  blotches  of  purplish-brown." 

(c).  The  Traill's  Flycatchers  are  common  summer-residents 
in  many  parts  of  northern  New  England,  and  of  Western  Mas- 
sachusetts, but  near  Boston  they  are  very  rare.  They  are 
most  common  in  the  latter  part  of  May,  when  they  may  occa- 
sionally be  seen  in  copses,  thickets,  and  swampy  woodland. 
They  are  then  migrating,  and  are  often  entirely  silent.  Nearly 
all  pass  on  to  the  northward.  Among  the  White  Mountains, 
they  frequent  wet  woodland,  sheltered  water-courses,  and  bushy, 


Fig.  15.    Traill's  Flycatcher 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  285 

swampy  fields.  Unlike  many  other  flycatchers,  they  are  some- 
what shy  of  man's  approach.  They  usually  remain  within  fif- 
teen feet  of  the  ground,  but  they  sometimes  take  both  higher 
and  longer  flights  than  I  have  ever  known  the  Least  Fly- 
catchers to  take. '  They  are  in  fact  much  less  stationary  than 
most  of  their  relations,  though  their  general  habits  are  the 
same.  They  live  much  on  the  edges  of  the  woods,  and  often 
occur  along  the  roadsides,  where,  from  the  tops  of  the  bushes 
and  lower  trees,  they  utter  their  peculiar  notes.  I  have  been 
led,  partly  from  observations  on  this  species,  to  believe  that 
probably  the  line,  separating  two  faunae  (such  as  the  Allegha- 
nian  and  Canadian90),  can  never  be  precisely  defined,  since 
birds  of  the  same  district  vary  considerably  in  their  latitudinal 
range.  This  is  even  the  case  in  more  or  less  restricted  lo- 
calities. While  walking  southward  through  the  Crawford 
Notch,  I  saw  or  heard  Traill's  Flycatchers  from  the  Willey 
House  to  a  point  several  miles  nearer  Conway,  and  beyond  this 
point  the  Least  Flycatchers  (who  are  comparatively  rare  in  the 
Canadian  district)  were  soon  heard.  No  more  of  the  former 
were  seen,  but  the  latter  were  frequently  observable  down  to 
North  Conwa3r,  where  (at  least  in  one  grove)  the  Swaiuson's 
Thrushes  and  Black-throated  Blue  Warblers  were  apparently 
common.  The  dividing  line,  already  spoken  of,  must  necestsa- 
rily  be  irregular,  because  affected  by  altitude  as  well  as  lati- 
tude. Among  the  White  Mountains,  one  often  finds  it  quite 
sharply  defined  by  the  general  face  of  nature  and  by  the 
atmosphere. 

The  Traill's  Ftycatchers  do  not,  so  far  as  I  know,  occur  near 
Boston  in  the  autumn,  and  it  is  probable  that  they  return  to 
the  South  by  an  inland  route,  as  is  the  case  with  many  other 
birds. 

(d).  Their  ordinary  note  is  a  slightly  querulous  pit,  which 
is  often  repeated,  and  which  recalls  the  voice  of  the  Great 
Crested  Flycatcher.  Another  note  is  pu-ee,  which  is  uttered 
in  a  peculiar  tone,  very  distinct  from  that  of  the  Wood  Pewee, 

•o  See  §17,  VI,  A,  (c). 


286  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

though  somewhat  like  that  of  the  Goldfinch's  plaintive  note. 
Their  song-note  is  delivered  energetically  and  forcibly,  the 
head  being  tossed  or  thrown  back,  and  the  tail  depressed.  It 
resembles  the  syllables  che-bee-u,  and  is  distinct  from  all  other 
notes  that  I  have  ever  heard. 

Nests  of  this  species  which  I  have  lately  examined  are  cup- 
shaped,  but  shallow.  They  are  usually  built  very  near  the 
ground,  and,  according  to  Mr.  Henshaw,  in  an  upright  fork. 

(B)    MINIMUS.   Least  Flycatcher.   Least  "Pewee"    "Chebec." 
(A  common  summer-resident  throughout  Massachusetts.) 
(a).   Five  inches  long  or  more.     Except  in  size,  scarcely 
different  from  E.  trailli  (A),  unless  somewhat  grayer.     Notes 
and  eggs,  however,  distinct. 

(b).  The  nest  is  placed  from  five  to  twenty  feet  above  the 
ground,  on  a  horizontal  limb  (frequently  where  it  forks),  occa- 
sionally one  of  a  shade-tree,  but  more  often  one  of  a  tree  in 
some  orchard  or  wood.  It  is  sometimes  built  in  a  crotch,  and 
then  resembles  the  Goldfinch's  nest.  It  is  composed  of  fine 
grasses,  rootlets  (and  pine-needles),  firmly  woven  together 
with  caterpillar's  silk,  cobwebs,  cottony  or  woollen  substances, 
and  such  accidental  materials  as  thread  or  string.  In  Eastern 
Massachusetts,  four  or  five  eggs  are  usually  laid  in  the  first  (or 
second)  week  of  June ;  occasionally  others  in  July.  They 
average  -60  X  *50  of  an  inch,  and  are  white,  or  creamy. 

(c).  The  Least  Flycatchers  are  common  summer-residents 
almost  throughout  New  England,  though  rare  in  some  of  the 
northern  portions.  They  reach  Massachusetts  in  the  first  week 
of  Ma}T,  and  remain  there  until  the  middle  of  September. 
They  frequent  both  woods  and  orchards,  in  cultivated  districts 
rather  preferring  the  latter,  particularly  if  somewhat  neglected 
and  unfrequented.  As  a  rule,  they  do  not  resort  to  pine-groves, 
or  to  very  thick  woods,  as  the  Wood  Pewees  often  do.  They 
prefer  woodland  composed  of  birches,  maples,  and  beeches,  and 
do  not  show  the  fondness  for  low  growth  and  wet  lands,  so 
often  observable  in  Traill's  Flycatcher.  They  generally  return 
every  year  to  their  chosen  home,  and  apparently,  when  once 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  287 

mated,  arc  wedded  for  life.  Occasional!}',  however,  an  in- 
truder presents  himself,  in  the  hope  of  winning  the  affections 
of  the  female,  and  in  these  cases  the  male  becomes  irritated 
and  furious.  But  ordinarily  he  is  not  very  pugnacious,  though 
of  a  rather  jealous  disposition.  After  becoming  settled  in 
their  summer-homes,  the  Least  Flycatchers  often  limit  their 
movements,  and  confine  themselves  to  some  group  of  trees 
much  more  closely  than  I  have  observed  any  other  birds  to 
do.  This  may  be  due  to  a  desire  to  project  their  homes. 
They  are  both  less  expert  and  less  active  than  many  other 
flycatchers,  and  sometimes  remain  for  a  considerable  length 
of  time  on  one  perch,  uttering  their  loud  song-notes.  They 
do  not  depend  exclusively  upon  insects  in  the  air,  but  occa- 
sionally pick  them  up  in  the  foliage  of  trees,  among  which 
they  pass  their  days,  sometimes,  however,  alighting  on  a 
fence,  or  on  the  top  of  a  weed.  They  flirt  their  tails,  but 
never  in  the  decided  and  continuous  manner  of  the  Common 
Pewee,  and,  on  delivering  their  song-note,  throw  the  body 
back,  in  the  manner  of  Traill's  Flycatcher. 

(cZ).  This  song-note  is  loud  and  emphatic,  but  wholly  unmu- 
sical, and  resembles  the  syllables  clie-bec.  It  is  frequently  re- 
peated, occasionally  at  night,  often  for  half  an  hour  at  a  time, 
and  sometimes  so  hurriedly  as  to  become  an  unmusical  song. 
The  other  notes  are  a  single  whit,  and  querulous  exclamations 
(when,  when,  wheu)  which  are  more  or  less  guttural  and  sub- 
dued. 

The  Least  Flycatchers,  though  common  and  well  character- 
ized by  their  striking  notes,  escaped  the  attention  of  Wilson, 
and  apparently  that  of  Audubon,  until  it  was  called  to  the 
then  new  species  by  Professor  Baird.  This  is  an  excellent 
instance  of  the  rule  that  the  more  one  knows,  the  more  one' 
sees,  though  it  is  natural  to  suppose  that  the  reverse  might  be 
the  case.  Hence,  "  most  discoveries  are  accidental,  or,  at 
least,  indirect."  Young  students,  on  beginning  to  study  birds, 
will  almost  invariably  from  year  to-year  discover  species  which 
they  have  never  before  observed,  though  they  may  often  have 
seen  them,  and  will  find  many  species  common  which  they 


288  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

before  considered  rare.  And  this  is  not  merely  because  begin- 
ners set  too  high  a  value  on  all  common  objects,  but  because 
their  observation,  on  being  cultivated,  is  greatly  increased.  It 
has,  however,  been  said,  somewhat  sarcastically,  that  inexperi- 
enced students  see  more  rare  birds  and  nests  than  an  expe- 
rienced naturalist  can  ever  find. 

(C)    FLAVIVENTRIS.     Yellow-bellied  Flycatcher. 

(Not  common  in  New  England.) 

(a).  About  5£  inches  long.  Above,  olive-green;  sides, 
shaded  with  the  same  ;  otherwise  beneatJi,  decided  yelloiv.  Lower 
mandible,  eye-ring,  wing-bars,  etc.,  yellowish  (or  even  yellow). 
Tail  even  or  rounded. 

(b) .  Dr.  Brewer  found  a  nest  of  this  species  which  closely 
resembled  that  of  the  Indigo  Bird,  at  Grand  Menan,  near  the 
shore,  "about  two  feet  from  the  ground,  placed  in  the  fork  of 
a  bush."  The  eggs  were  white.  "Those  procured  by  Mr. 
Boardman  were  sprinkled  with  minute  dots  of  reddish-brown. 
Their  measurement  is  *68  X  "52  of  an  inch."  Two  eggs  in  my 
collection  measure  about  -75  X  *55  of  an  inch,  and  are  pure 
white,  unmarked. 

(c).  The  Yellow-bellied  Flycatchers  are  the  rarest  members 
of  their  family  in  New  England,  and,  though  their  distribution 
is  probably  similar  to  that  of  Traill's  Flycatcher,  yet  they  are 
apparently  in  no  district  very  common.  I  have  rarely  found 
them  near  Boston,  and  generally  have  seen  only  two  or  three 
in  June  or  the  latter  part  of  May.  There  is  little  to.  observe, 
other  than  their  shyness,  their  fondness  for  shrubbery  and  wet 
lands,  their  low  and  characteristic  note  (approached  only  by 
one  of  the  Goldfinches  which  is  rarely  heard),  and  the  occa- 
sional flirting  of  their  tail.  Mr.  Maynard's  notes  are  very 
interesting.  He  says:  "On  May  31,  1869,  I  shot  the  first 
specimen  I  had  ever  seen  living;  the  next  day  (June  1st)  I 
took  eight  of  both  sexes  in  a  few  hours !  Between  this  time 
and  the  10th  I  took  two  or  three  more.  I  do  not  doubt  that 
it  Jias  occurred  in  previous  seasons,  but,  being  unaccustomed 
to  its  low  note, — which  is  like  the  syllable  Pea  very  plaintively 


OP   NEW   ENGLAND.  289 

and  prolongedly  given, — and  its  retiring  habits,  I  had  not  de- 
tected it  before.  The  specimens  captured  were  all,  with  the 
exception  of  the  first, — which  was  shot  on  a  tall  oak, — taken 
in  low,  swampy  thickets.  It  keeps  near  the  ground,  is  rather 
shy,  and  upon  the  appearance  of  the  intruder  instantly  ceases 
its  song." 

(d).  In  his  "Catalogue  of  the  Birds  of  Coos  Co.,  N.  H., 
and  Oxford  Co.,  Me.,  etc.,"  Mr.  Maynard  says :  "  We  found  it 
in  dark  swamps  at  Upton.  Here,  for  the  first  time,  I  detected 
this  species  with  any  other  note  than  the  low  pea.  It  was  like 
the  syllable  kil-lic  very  gravely  given,  with  a  long  interval  be- 
tween each  utterance.  The  song  was  even  less  energetic  than 
that  of  Traillii.91  While  singing,  the  birds  were  perched  on 
low  limbs.  Both  male  and  female  used  this  note." 

Dr.  Brewer  sa3rs  that  Mr.  Boardman  "  has  heard  this  bird 
give  forth  quite  a  pleasing,  though  somewhat  monotonous  trill. 
This,  according  to  Dr.  Hoy,  resembles  Pea-wdyk-pea-wdyk,  sev- 
eral times  repeated  in  a  soft  and  not  unpleasant  call  or  song." 

(D)  ACADicus.92  Small  Green-crested  Flycatcher.  Acadian 
Flycatcher. 

(Hardly  to  be  ranked  as  a  bird  of  New  England.) 

(a).  About  six  inches  long.  Tail  even;  crown-feathers 
erectile  (as  in  all  flycatchers),  and  dark-centred  (?).  Like  E. 
flaviventris  in  coloration,  but  rather  less  bright  above,  with  the 
yellow  beneath  very  pale,  or  confined  to  th0  hinder  parts.  Eye- 
ring,  etc.,  yellowish  ;  breast  shaded  with  olive-green. 

(b).   The  nest  is  built  in  a  tree,  not  very  far  from  the  ground. 


81 1  do  not  know  whether  the  song-note  of  Traill's  Flycatcher,  as  described  by 
this  author,  is  one  which  I  have  already  described,  or  one  which  I  have  never 
heard.  I  can  hardly  reconcile  it  to  my  own  observations.  He  says:  "This  spe- 
cies has  a  most  peculiar  note  like  the  syllables  ke  win'k;  this  is  not  so  quickly 
given  as  the  se  wic'k  of  E.  minimus,  and  is  somewhat  harsher.  There  is  perhaps 
thirty  seconds  interval  between  each  ke  win'k."  Mr.  Brewster,  likewise,  in  speak- 
iug  of  the  male,  says :  ''  His  song  consisted  of  a  single  dissyllabic  strain,  ke'wing, 
uttered  in  a  harsh,  peevish  voice,"  etc.  (Quoted  by  Dr.  Brewer.) 

"This  species  is  considered  by  some  authors  as  probably  identical  with  E. 
Trailli,  next  to  which  it  should  stand.  As  it  is  questionably  a  bird  of  New  Eng- 
land, I  have  placed  it  at  the  end  of  the  group. 

20 


290  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

An  egg  in  my  collection  measures  about  *85  X  "65  of  an  inch, 
and  is  white,  with  a  few  brown  markings  at  the  larger  end. 

(c).  Mr.  Henshaw,  in  comparing  this  species  with  Traill's  93 
says  :  "  In  New  England,  if  the  Acadian  Flycatcher  be  found 
at  all,  it  is  in  the  character  of  a  very  rare  visitant,  and  I  am 
inclined  to  believe  that  all  of  the  various  quotations  assign- 
ing this  bird  to  a  place  in  the  New  England  fauna  may  be  set 
down  as  instances  of  mistaken  identification,  not  excepting  the 
evidence  of  Mr.  J.  A.  Allen,  who  states  that  E.  acadicus  is  a 
rare  summer  visitant  near  Springfield,  Mass.  I  am  inclined  to 
think  that  Mr.  Allen's  acadicus,  were  really  Traillii,  more  es- 
pecially since,  in  recounting  the  habits,  he  says,  '  it  breeds  in 
swamps  and  thickets,  which  are  its  exclusive  haunts.'  This 
accords  perfectly  with  the  habits  of  E.  Traillii,  and  is  utterly 
at  variance  with  those  of  acadicus,  as  elsewhere  shown.*  u  As 
at  present  made  out  the  Acadian  Flycatcher  reaches  no  further 
along  the  coast  than  New  Jersey.  Nor  in  the  interior  does  its 
range  appear  to  extend  much  if  any  higher.'-'  "  *  *  *  the  nest 
is  disposed  in  a  horizontal  fork."  Dr,  Wheaton  "is  of  the  opin- 
ion, that  the  eggs  of  acadicus  average  a  little  longer  and  slen- 
derer than  those  of  Traillii,  and  have  perhaps  a  yellower  buff 
tinge."  "  *  *  *  of  the  Acadian  he  says :  '  It  is  never  found 
in  company  with,  or  in  such  localities  as  are  frequented  by  the 
Traill's.  In  all  cases  it  is  found  in  upland  woodland,  prefer- 
ably, and  I  might  almost  say  as  far  as  my  observation  ex- 
tends in  beech  woodland.  I  have  never  seen  it  even  during 
the  migration  in  otner  places.' " 

NOTE. — Empidonax  pygmceus.     Pygmy  Flycatcher. 

(a).  About  five  inches  long  or  less.  Crown-feathers  erec- 
tile. Tail  even.  Coloration,  so  far  as  known,  like  that  of 
other  small  flycatchers  (Empidonactes) ,  but  apparently  with 
little  olive  tinting  above,  and  no  yellow  beneath.  [Moreover, 


93  Quarterly  Bulletin  of  the  Nuttall  Ornithological  Club,  Cambridge,  Mass. 
"*  Since,  penning  the  above  I  understand  that  Mr.  Allen  allows  this  view  to  be 
correct." 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  291 

with  no  huffish  suffusion,  etc.?]  Outer  web  of  the  outermost  tail- 
feather  (and  possibly,  but  not  probably,  more  of  the  tail),  white. 

(c).  On  the  twelfth  day  of  May,  1875,  whilst  walking  about 
my  father's  place  near  Boston,  I  caught  sight  of  a  small  fly- 
catcher in  some  shrubbery  which  stood  near  an  open  field,  and 
which  consisted  of  barberry-bushes,  a  white  birch,  etc.,  while 
near  this  place  were  several  apple-trees,  pines,  isolated  oaks, 
and  other  trees.  There,  soon  after  noon,  I  saw  the  subject  of 
this  memoir.  By  his  habits,  his  erected  crown-feathers,  and 
his  style  of  coloration,  I  knew  him  to  be  a  flycatcher ;  on  ob- 
serving his  size  and  even  tail,  I  ascribed  him  to  the  genus 
Empidonax  (or  a  closely  allied  genus)  ;  and,  on  noticing  that 
his  tail  was  edged  with  white  to  the  depth  of  an  eighth  of  an 
inch  or  more,  when  closed,  I  believed  him  to  be  a  new  species. 
In  Dr.  Coues'  "  Key  to  North  American  Birds,"  but  two  fly- 
catchers, ever  found  in  the  United  States,  are  mentioned,  who 
have  the  outermost  wet)  of  the  tail  white.  Of  these,  Er/ipido- 
nax  obscurus,  Wright's  Flycatcher  (a  bird  of  the  south-western 
United  States),  is  much  larger  than  pygmceus — for  by  chance 
a  Pewee  alighted  beside  the  latter,  and  I  noticed  then  that  the 
Pewee  seemed  to  be  at  least  two  inches  longer,  if  not  more. 
On  the  other  hand,  I  did  not  observe  in  E.  pygmceus  the  huffish 
suffusion,  and  yellow  lower  mandible,  said  to  be  the  character- 
istics of  Mitrephorus  fulvifrons,  var.  pallescens,  a  bird  of  the 
same  size,  but  belonging  to  a  Mexican  genus  (though  first 
called  by  Dr.  Coues  "Empidonax  pygmceus,  Buff-breasted  Fly- 
catcher," when  obtained  by  him  at  Fort  Whipple,  Arizona). 
It  hardly  seems  possible  that  the  Buff-breasted  Flycatcher 
should  have  strayed  to  Massachusetts,  though  similar  instances 
of  wandering  have  occurred  before  among  birds.  I  feel  quite 
confident  that  the  bird  in  question  is  a  new  species,  probably 
belonging  to  the  genus  Empidonax,  though  possibly  to  Mitre- 
phorus,  or  even  to  a  new  genus  (to  be  called  Muscaccipiter). 
After  tr}Ting  to  identify  my  bird,  and  having  hurriedly,  and 
yet  with  as  much  care  as  possible,  endeavored  to  learn  all 
the  details  of  his  coloration,  I  proceeded  to  study  his  habits. 

For  about  three  minutes  I  watched  the  bird  (for  he  was  not 


292  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

shy,  and  at. first  allowed  me  a  very  near  approach),  as  he  flew 
from  his  perch  into  the  air,  and,  in  the  manner  of  the  true  fly- 
catchers, caught  the  smaller  insects,  showing  great  dexterity 
during  his  aerial  excursions,  which  were  all  short,  so  far  as  I 
observed.  He  returned  each  time  to  his  former  perch  or  to 
one  near  it,  and  then  occasionally  flirted  his  tail,  in  the  manner 
of  the  Pewee,  but  with  much  less  energy.  Finally,  either  by 
an  accidental  sound  I  frightened  him,  or  he  cared  no  longer  to 
stay,  for  he  flew  away  to  one  of  the  higher  branches  of  a  neigh- 
boring oak,  and  so  from  tree  to  tree,  until  lost  to  sight.  I 
suppose  this  Pygmy  Flycatcher  to  have  been  a  migrant,  pass- 
ing through  on  his  way  to  the  northward  with  various  other 
small  birds,  who  were  abundant  at  the  time. 

Either  owing  to  its  great  rarity,  or  its  general  likeness  to 
other  species  (especially  the  Least  Pewee),  this  species,  if  in- 
deed genuine,  has  hitherto  escaped  the  notice  of  our  natural- 
ists ;  but  it  is  hoped  that,  now  being  on  their  guard,  these 
gentlemen  will  succeed  in  obtaining  specimens,  or  that  I  myself 
may  do  so,  for,  on  first  meeting  it,  I  had  no  gun.  That  this 
bird  was  a  partially  albino  Least  Pewee  (E.  minimus)  seems 
wholly  improbable.  Even  its  general  appearance  and  habits 
seemed  distinct  from  those  of  that  bird.  I  think,  moreover, 
that  I  should  have  discovered  a  Least  Pewee  there  earlier  in 
the  season,  having  been  there  every  day  previously,  and  the 
Least  Pewees  having  arrived  several  days  before ;  for,  as  is 
well  known-,  these  birds  usually  frequent  their  haunts  pretty 
persistently  ;  finally,  I  have  not  seen  my  bird  since.  This 
matter  must  be  left  to  the  consideration  of  the  public,  until 
more  satisfactory  evidence  can  be  produced. 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  293 

CHAPTER  II. 

SECOND   ORDER.     PICARI.E. 

THIS  order  is  a  "  way-farer's  home,"  established  to  receive 
those  birds  who  do  not  belong  elsewhere  (in  science,  a  poly- 
morphic group).  The  (North  American)  birds  composing  it 
are  characterized  by  the  combination  of  a  bill  without  any  cere 
or  soft  membrane,  and  one  of  the  following  features :  tail- 
feathers  ten ;  foot  syndactyle  by  the  union  throughout  of  the 
middle  and  outer  toe ;  front-toes  two  in  number.  There  are 
also  certain  internal  and, other  features  which  are  more  or  less 
characteristic.  Either  the  bill  or  the  toes  always  present  cer- 
tain peculiarities. 

There  is  an  important  element  in  classification,  which  is 
often  overlooked,  that  of  latent  features.  These  are  frequently 
undeveloped.  For  instance,  the  chief,  and  let  us  momentarily 
suppose,  the  only,  difference  between  the  typical  thrushes  and 
mocking-thrushes  is  in  the  tarsus,  or  so-called  "leg."  In  the 
latter  group  it  is  always  scutellate  (or  divided  into  scales) — at 
least,  in  front ;  whereas  in  the  former  thrushes,  when  adult,  it 
is  "  booted"  (i.  e.  without  scales,  unless  near  the  toes).  Yet  a 
young  robin  with  scutellate  tarsi  is  no  less  a  typical  thrush ; 
his  tarsi  are  virtually  u  booted,"  and  will  become  so  upon  normal 
growth.  Those  of  a  young  Cat-bird  never  will.  Is  not  ab- 
normal growth  frequently  due  to  the  persistent  latency  of 
normal  features?  As  another  example,  the  females  of  two 
closely  allied  species  may  be  exactly  alike  in  coloration,  size, 
and  structure.  They  may  differ,  however,-  in  the  latent  power 
of  producing  distinct  eggs ;  they  may  differ  less  in  the  latent 
instinct  of  building  different  nests,  or  still  less  in  the  latent 
power  of  producing  eggs,  many  of  which  contain  the  germs  of 
very  distinct  male  birds.  Hence  the  freshly  laid  eggs  of  two 
species  may  be  indistinguishable  except  in  latent,  undeveloped 
features,  though,  since  like  produces  like,  they  may  be  identi- 
fied through  the  parent-birds. 


294  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

NOTE.  —  The  third  order,  Psittaci  (parrots  and  their  allies) , 
is  not  represented  in  New  England.  Its  members  have  toes  in 
pairs,  and  an  essentially  raptorial  bill.  (See  Chap.  III.) 

§  20.  The  Caprimillgidse  (or  goatsuckers,  of  which  the 
American  species  are  typical,  and  belong  to  the  subfamily 
Caprimulgince)  and  the  Cypselidce  (or  swifts,  §21,  pi.  1,  fig.  23) 
form  a  natural  group  possessing  the  following  features :  gape 
extensive,  and  about  six  times  as  long  as  the  culmen  (or  upper 
outline  of  the  bill)  ;  feet  small  and  weak ;  primaries  ten ; 
tail-feathers  ten.  The  goatsuckers  may  be  distinguished  from 
the  swifts  by  the  more  or  less  bristled  bill,  the  feet  slightly 
webbed  at  the  base,  and  the  elevated  hind-toe.  This  last  fea- 
ture, however,  also  belongs  to  the  Chceturince,  a  subfamily  con- 
taining the  Chimney  "  Swallows,"  and  differing  further  from 
the  true  swifts  in  having  unfeathered  tarsi.  .The  Chceturce 
(§21,  I)  have  mucronate  tail-feathers,  in  which  the  shaft  pro- 
jects beyond  the  webs.  (PI.  1,  fig.  22.) 

The  swifts  probably  possess  powers  of  locomotion  superior 
to  those  of  any  other  living  creatures.  With  their  long,  pointed 
wings,  they  are  said  to  fly  sometimes  at  the  rate  of  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  miles  in  an  hour.  They  are  strictly  insectivo- 
rous and  migratory,  and  more  or  less  colonial.  "  They  never 
perch,  but  many  resort  to  hollows,  as  in  trees,  for  the  purpose 
of  roosting  and  of  nesting."  Their  nests  are  attached  to  some 
more  or  less  perpendicular  surface,  and  are  constructed  partly 
or  even  wholly  of  a  gummy  saliva.  The  eggs  are  white,  and 
rather  elongated. 

The  goatsuckers  are  generally  nocturnal  or  crepuscular,  and, 
as  a  rule,  do  not  fly  .about  in  the  day-time,  unless  when  cloudy. 
When  resting,  they  do  so  on  the  ground,  or  perch  lengthwise 
on  a  bough  or  fence.  They  are  insectivorous,  capturing  moths 
and  smaller  insects  at  some  height  in  the  air,  also  migratory 
and  often  gregarious.  They  are  larger  than  the  swifts,  who 
are  also  somewhat  crepuscular,  and  their  plumage  is  much  va- 
riegated. They  build  no  nest,  but  lay  two  eggs  on  the  ground, 
or  near  it.  There  are  two  American  genera. 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  295 

I.  Antrostomus.     Bristles  very  conspicuous ;   tail  rounded. 
Birds  strictly  nocturnal. 

II.  %  Chordicles.   Bristles  short ;  tail  forked  ;  wings  very  long. 
(Fig.  16.) 

I.   ANTROSTOMUS 

(A)    VOCIFERUS.     Whippoorwill.     "Night-jar." 
(A  well  known  summer-resident  throughout  New  England.) 
(a).   About  9£  inches  long.     Tail  rounded.     Throat-patch, 
and  tips  of  outer  tail-feathers,  in  $  white,  in  9  light  brown. 
Crown,  black-streaked.     Otherwise  indescribably  variegated  or 
mottled  with  several  quiet  colors.     The  Chuck-will*  s-widow  (A. 
Carolinensis)  of  the  Southern  States  possesses  a  very  similar 
coloration,  but  is  a  foot  long. 

(6).  The  eggs  are  laid  on  the  ground  in  some  dry  part  of 
the  woods,  no  nest  being  made,  unless  a  slight  hollow  be 
scratched  among  the  fallen  leaves.  They  are  elliptical,  aver- 
age 1*25  X  '85  of  an  inch,  and  are  creamy,  spotted  rather 
sparsely,  chiefly  with  lilac  and  lavender.  In  Massachusetts, 
two  eggs  are  laid  about  the  first  of  June. 

(c).  The  Whippoorwills,  wherever  known,  are  well-known, 
and  yet  by  the  common  people  they  are  rarely  seen.  Were  it 
not  for  their  loud  and  famous  notes,  they  might  well  be  con- 
sidered by  collectors  very  rare.  As  it  is,  they  are  known  to 
be  common  at  various  points  throughout  New  England,  as  well 
as  other  parts  of  the  country  ;  but  their  distribution  is  probably 
irregular  and  local.  They  reach  the  neighborhood  of  Boston 
in  the  latter  part  of  May,  and  leave  it  before  or  soon  after  the 
arrival  of  autumn.  They  differ  from  the  Night  "Hawks"  in 
habits  very  distinctly,  though,  according  to  Wilson,  the  two 
species  were  once  confused  even  by  naturalists.  They  are 
strictly  nocturnal,  unless  occasionally  active  towards  the  end 
of  a  cloudy  afternoon.  During  the  day,  they  retire  to  some 
well  shaded  spot  in  the  woods  (or  occasionally  the  "scrub"), 
and  there  repose,  resting  on  the  ground,  or,  more  often,  perched 
upon  a  limb.  Their  feet  are  so  small  and  weak  that  they  never 
(?)  perch  crosswise,  but  lie  along  the  bough.  I  have  but 


296  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

rarely  found  them  sleeping,  but  on  such  occasions  I  have 
always  observed  this  peculiarity.  Like  most  of  thi  owls,  they 
are  dazed  by  a  strong  light,  and  in  the  day-time  usually  allow 
a  near  approach.  At  evening  they  become  active,  and  are  said 
to  continue  so  until  dawn,  particularly  on  moon-light  nights. 
They  are  never,  I  believe,  quite  so  gregarious  as  the  Night 
"Hawks"  very  often  are,  though  in  spring  there  is  often  ri- 
valry between  the  males,  who  seem  to  challenge  one  another. 
The  Whippoorwills  also  fly  much  lower,  and  prefer  to  fly  near 
the  ground,  rather  than  among  the  clouds  or  at  any  great 
height.  Hence  their  food  must  differ  considerably  from  that 
of  their  relative.  Audubon  in  speaking  of  this  species  says : 
"It  passes  low  over  the  bushes,  moves  to  the  right  or  left, 
alights  on  the  ground  to  secure  its  prey,  passes  repeatedly  and 
in  different  directions  over  the  same  field,  skims  along  the  skirts 
of  the  woods,  and  settles  occasionally  on  the  tops  of  the  fence- 
stakes  or  on  stumps  of  trees,  from  whence  it  sallies,  like  a  Fly- 
catcher, after  insects,  and,  on  seizing  them,  returns  to  the  same 
spot.  When  thus  situated,  it  frequently  alights  on  the  ground, 
to  pick  up  a  beetle.  Like  the  Chuck-will's-widow,  it  also  bal- 
ances itself  in  the  air,  in  front  of  the  trunks  of  trees,  or  against 
the  side  of  banks,  to  discover  ants,  and  other  small  insects 
that  may  be  lurking  there.  Its  flight  is  so  light  and  noiseless, 
that  whilst  it  is  passing  within  a  few  feet  of  a  person,  the  mo- 
tion of  its  wings  is  not  heard  by  him,  and  merely  produces  a 
gentle  undulation  in  the  air.  During  all  this  time,  it  utters  a 
low  murmuring  sound,  by  which  alone  it  can  be  discovered  in 
the  dark,  when  passing  within  a  few  yards  of  one,  and  which 
I  have  often  heard  when  walking  or  riding  through  the  barrens 
at  night."  The  young  run  about  much  like  young  partridges. 
(d).  The  most  characteristic  note  of  these  birds  is  a  loud 
•whistle,  which  resembles  more  or  less  distinctly  the  syllables 
whip-poor-will.  It  is  said  to  be  never  repeated,  except  after 
dark,  and  when  the  birds  are  perched,  as  on  a  fence  or  roof.  It 
is  most  commonly  heard  in  June,  and  is  usually  preceded  by  a 
click,  as  if  produced  by  a  snapping  of  the  bill.  The  other 
notes  of  the  Whippoorwills  are  low,  sweet  whistles  (whit,  whit, 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND. 


297 


whit)  and  occasionally  a  rather  harsh  and  guttural  chatter. 
Mr.  Nuttall  sa}^s  that  the  }*oung  have  a  low,  mournful  pe-ugh. 
It  is  probable,  at  least  in  New  England,  that  few  or  no  super- 
stitions are  now  attached  to  these  birds. 

II.   CHORDEILES 

•  (A)   VIRGINIANUS.    -Night  "Hawk."     "Bull-bat" 

(A  common  summer-resident  throughout  New  England.) 

(a).  About  nine  inches  long. 
Tail  forked.  Variously  mottled, 
or  variegated.  $  with  a  white, 
and  9  with  a  reddish,  throat-patch. 
$  with  both  a  white  wing-patch  and 
white  tail-spots. 

(b).  The  eggs,  of  which  two  are 
here  laid  about  the  first  of  June, 
are  dropped  upon  rocks,  upon  the 
ground,  or  occasionally  upon  a  flat 
roof.  They  have  been  found  vari- 
ously in  cities,  pastures,  fields,  and 
woods.  They  are  elliptical,  aver- 
age about  1-25  X  '85  of  an  inch, 
and  are  light  gra}r,  or  brown, 
thickly  and  finely  marked  with  li- 
lac, dark  brown,  and  sometimes 
slate-color. 

(c).  The  Night  "  Hawks  "  have 
not  been  named  altogether  appro- 
priately, for,  though  to  a  certain  extent  crepuscular  (belonging 
to  twilight  or  dusk),  they  are  not  nocturnal.  There  is,  how- 
ever, a  strong  resemblance  in  their  general  method  of  flight  to 
that  of  certain  hawks,  as  well  as  to  that  of  the  swifts,  and  the 
latter  part  of  their  name  is  warranted  by  their  general  appear- 
ance at  a  distance.  They  fly  with  ease,  and  sometimes,  when 
favored  by  a  wind,  with  much  rapidity.  They  often  mount  to 
a  great  height,  so  as  to  be  fairly  lost  among  the  clouds,  and* 
comparatively  seldom  skim  over  the  earth,  in  the  manner  of 


Fig.  16.    Night  "  Hawk  » 


298  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

the  Whippoorwill.  They  move  through  the  air  very  irregularly, 
and  often  change  their  course  at  nearly  every  flapping  of  their 
wings,  as  they  dart  about  in  the  search  of  the  winged  insects 
upon  which  they  feed.  They  fly  about  freely  in  the  day-time, 
especially  if  it  be  cloudy,  but  they  are  generally  rather  silent 
in  very  sunny  wreather.  They  occasionally  alight  upon  the 
ground,  and  move  about,  but  whether  in  search  of  earth  or 
insects  I  am  uncertain,  probably  the  former. 

The  Night  "Hawks"  are  common  summer-residents  through- 
out New  England,  but,  according  to  Mr.  Allen,1  do  not  winter 
in  Florida,  as  many  Whippoorwills  do.  They  usually  reach 
Massachusetts  in  the  earlier  part  of  May,  or  sometimes,  it  is 
said,  in  April.  Separate  individuals  or  pairs  are  not  uncom- 
mon, but  they  may  often  be  seen  migrating  in  companies,  con- 
taining even  two  dozen,  for  the}7  are  more  or  less  gregarious 
throughout  the  year.  They  show  a  fondness  for  pasture-land, 
and  uncultivated  districts,  though  quite  common  in  Boston  and 
other  cities,  where  they  have  been  found  to  lay  their  eggs  on 
flat  roofs.  They  are  probably  more  abundant  in  northern  New 
England  than  in  Massachusetts,  in  some  places  forming  large 
colonies.  Near  Wilson's  Mills  in  Maine,  says  Mr.  Samuels, 
"  in  the  space  of  every  four  or  five  rods,  a  female  was  sitting 
on  her  eggs."  Both  Wilson  and  Audubon  speak  of  the  female's 
endeavors,  when  frightened  during  incubation,  to  lead  the  in- 
truder away  by  feigning  lameness  and  distress.  In  this  case, 
though  less  so  than  with  many  other  birds  who  build  no  nest, 
it 'is  difficult  to  find  the  eggs.  If  these  latter  be  left  undis- 
turbed when  found,  they  are  sometimes  removed,  very  probably 
in  the  capacious  mouths  of  their  parents,  as  Audubon  states  to 
be  the  case  with  the  Chuck- will's-widow.  The  Night  "Hawks" 
like  the  Whippoorwills  perch  lengthwise,  but  unlike  them  fre- 
quently utter  their  notes  on  wing. 

(d).  Their  ordinary  note  is  peculiar  and  indescribable, 
though  I  have  heard  it  well  imitated  by  the  human  mouth. 
It  is  usually  called  a  loud,  harsh  squeak,  but  I  know  no  sounds 

1 "  List  of  the  Winter  Birds  of  East  Florida,  with  Annotations."   J.  A.  Allen. 


OP    NEW   ENGLAND.  299 

like  it,  except  the  notes  of  one  or  two  other  birds.  It  is  very 
striking,  and,  if  heard  from  a  near  standpoint,  rather  startling. 
The  male  Night  "Hawk"  produces  an  equally  extraordinary 
sound,  which  is  h^ard  chiefly  during  the  season  of  courtship. 
Mounting  to  some  height,  he  falls,  head  foremost,  until  near 
the  ground,  when  he  checks  his  downward  course,  and  then 
the  "booming"  is  heard,  a  sound  "resembling  that  produced 
by  blowing  strongly  into  the  bung  hole  of  an  empty  hogshead." 
I  am  uncertain  as  to  what  causes  this  noise,  having  found  it 
impossible  to  make  any  close  observations.  Wilson  thought  it 
produced  by  the  mouth,  Audubon,  by  the  concussion  caused 
by  a  change  of  position  in  the  wings.  The  Night  "Hawks" 
all  leave  New  England  in  September. 

§21.  Cypselidse.    Swifts.    (See  §20.) 
I.   CH^TURA 

(A)   PELAGICA.     Chimney  Swift.     Chimney  "Swallow" 
(A  common  summer-resident  throughout  New  England.) 
(a).   About  five  inches   long.     Sooty-brown,  glossed  with 
green  above  ;  throat,  much  paler.     Lores  and  wings,  black. 

(b).  The  Chimney  "Swallows"  soon  after  their  arrival  con- 
struct their  curious  nests,  which  are  composed  of  twigs  firmly 
glued  together  by  "  a  fluid  secreted  with  the  birds."  These 
nests  are  now  placed  in  chimneys,  almost  universally  through- 
out civilized  parts  of  the  country,  but  they  have  been  found 
attached  to  boards,  and  the  eggs  were  originally  laid  in  hollow- 
trees  or  stumps.  The  eggs  of  each  set  are  four,  average  '70  X 
•50  of  an  inch,  and  are  pure  white,  unmarked. 

(c).  The  Chimney  Swifts  possess  powers  of  flight  which  are 
probably  unsurpassed  by  those  of  any  bird  not  belonging  to 
this  family.  It  is  almost  certain  that  they  often  fly  no  less 
than  a  thousand  miles  in  the  course  of  twenty-four  hours. 
When  providing  for  their  young,  they  are  sometimes  busy  dur- 
ing a  greater  part  of  the  day,  and  even  continue  their  labors 
at  night.  Usually,  they  become  active  at  a  very  early  hour, 
sometimes  even  before  dawn,  and  retire  during  the  warmer 
part  of  the  day,  unless  it  be  cloudy,  when  they  continue  their 


300  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

exercise.  At  evening,  they  renew  their  activity  and  do  not 
retire  until  a  comparatively  late  hour.  The  Chimney  "Swal- 
lows" are  common  summer-residents  throughout  New  England. 
They  reach  Massachusetts  in  the  first  week  of  May,  and  leave 
it  in  August  or  September.  They  have  altered  their  habits 
conformably  to  civilization,  and  here  roost  and  nest  exclusively 
in  chimneys.  Formerly  they  occupied  hollow  trees,  and  Au- 
dubon  describes  as  follows  a  visit  to  one  of  their  haunts,  a 
large,  hollow  sycamore  near  Louisville,  in  Kentucky.  "  Next 
morning  I  rose  early  enough  to  reach  the  place  long  before  the 
least  appearance  of  daylight,  and  placed  my  head  against  the 
tree.  All  was  silent  within.  I  remained  in  that  posture  prob- 
ably twenty  minutes,  when  suddenly  I  thought  the  great  tree 
was  giving  away,  and  coming  down  upon  me.  Instinctively  I 
sprung  from  it,  but  when  I  looked  up  to  it  again,  what  was  my 
astonishment  to  see  it  standing  as  firm  as  ever.  The  Swallows 
were  now  pouring  out  in  a  black  continued  stream.  I  ran  back 
to  my  post,  and  listened  in  amazement  to  the  noise  within, 
which  I  could  compare  to  nothing  else  than  the  sound  of  a 
large  wheel  revolving  under  a  powerful  stream.  It  was  yet 
dusky,  so  that  I  could  hardly  see  the  hour  on  my  watch,  but  I 
estimated  the  time  which  they  took  in  getting  out  at  more  than 
thirty  minutes.  After  their  departure,  no  noise  was  heard 
within,  and  they  dispersed  in  every  direction  with  the  quick- 
ness of  thought."  Audubon  estimated  their  number  at  nine 
thousand.  The  Chimney  Swifts  never  rest  except  in  their 
roosting-places,  to  the  walls  of  which  they  cling,  partly  sup- 
ported by  their  stiff  tail ;  and,  so  great  is  their  muscular  vigor, 
that  they  never  rest  by  perching.  As  has  already  been  men- 
tioned, they  often  rest  at  noon,  or  seek  refuge  during  violent 
storms.  On  this  account,  they  are  very  abundant  sometimes, 
and  at  other  times  are  not  to  be  seen.  On  entering  a  chimney, 
they  fall  boldly  head-foremost  in  a  very  unconcerned  way. 
Their  general  manner  of  flight  is  so  varied  that  it  is  difficult  to 
describe.  It  consists  of  rapid  sailing,  combined  with  quickly 
repeated  strokes  of  the  wings,  and  sudden  turnings  in  every 
direction.  Their  flight  possesses  so  much  force  that  they  break 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  301 

off  twigs  for  their  nests  without  any  diminution  of  speed.  It  is 
almost  unnecessary  to  say  that  they  feed  entirely  upon  winged 
insects,  the  indigestible  parts  of  which  they  are  said  to  dis- 
gorge in  pellets. 

The  Chimney  Swifts  may  easily  be  distinguished  from  the 
true  swallows  by  their  peculiar  and  more  rapid  flight,  their 
long  wings,  and  their  apparent  want  of  tail  (as  seen  from  a 
distance).  They  sometimes  skim  over  water,  but  more  often 
fly  at  a  considerable  or  even  a  very  great  height. 

(d).  Their  only  note  is  a  loud  chip,  often  repeated  quickly 
and  vehemently,  so  as  to  bear  a  resemblance  to  the  twittering 
of  the  swallows.  Their  young,  who  are  born  blind,  have  a 
much  feebler  voice. 

§  22.  The  TrochilidaB  (or  hummingbirds)  are  in  North 
America  represented  only  by  the  typical  subfamily,  Trochilinoe 
(while  the  other  group,  "Phcethornithince,  representing  about 
one-tenth  of  the  whole,  is  composed  of  duller  colored  species 
especially  inhabiting  the  dense  forests  of  the  Amazon").  The 
Ruby-throated  Hummingbird  is  an  excellent  type  of  the  group. 
The  bill  is  very  long  and  slender,  being  of  a  nearly  equal  depth 
throughout ;  the  feet  are  small ;  the  wings  long  and  with  ten 
primaries  ;  the  tail  is  ten-feathered. 

The  Alcedinidce  (or  kingfishers,  §  23)  are  in  America  repre- 
sented fragmentarily  by  the  subfamily  Cerylinoe.  They  differ 
strikingly  from  all  the  families  to  which  they  are  allied  by  po- 
sition in  classification.  The  common  Belted  Kingfisher  is  a 
good  type.  The  bill  is  stout  and  pointed,  about  one-fourth  as 
deep  as  long  ;  the  tarsi  are  extremely  short ;  the  feet  small, 
and  syndactyle  from  the  union  of  the  outer  and  middle  toes 
nearly  throughout  (pi.  1,  fig.  24)  ;2  primaries  ten,  but  tail- 
feathers  twelve. 

The  Coccygince  (or  American  cuckoos)  form  a  distinct  sub- 
family of  the  large  and  much  varied  family,  Cuculidce  (or 
cuckoos,  §  24).  They  are  quite  closely  related  to  some  of  the 

*In  many  other  birds  the  toes  are  partly  united  at  the  base. 


302  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

woodpeckers,  but  show  little  affinity  to  the  o.ther  picarian 
groups.  They  are  characterized  as  follows :  bill  deepest  at 
the  base  (?),  with  upper  outline  convex,  and  the  lower  con- 
cave ;  toes  arranged  in  pairs  ;  tail-feathers  ten  ;  feathers  above 
the  tarsus  long  and  flowing. 

The  cuckoos  are  insectivorous,  and  eat  great  numbers  of 
caterpillars  ;  but  unfortunately  they  often  rob  the  nests  of  other 
birds,  though  not,  like  the  European  cuckoos,  parasitic.  On 
account  of  their  peculiar  notes,  however,  they  have  been  called 
"Cow-birds."  They  are  migratory  but  not  gregarious.  They 
build  rude  and  frail  nests,  of  sticks  or  the  like,  in  a  bush  or 
tree,  and  lay  several  bluish  or  greenish  eggs,  often  at  irregular 
intervals. 

I.   TROCHILUS 

(A)   COLUBRIS.     Riiby-tliroated  Hummingbird? 

(A  summer-resident  throughout  New  England.) 

(a).  About  3 1  inches  long.  Golden  green  above;  white 
beneath.  Wings  and  tail,  brownish-purple.  £ ,  with  the 
sides  green,  and  the  throat  metallic,  reflecting  ruby-red.  Tail 
simply  forked.  9  ,  with  the  tail  slightly  forked,  and  "double- 
rounded,"  more  or  less  black-barred,  and,  on  the  outer  feathers, 
white-tipped. 

(6).  The  Hummingbird's  nest  may  be  considered  a  perfect 
type  of  bird-architecture,  and,  as  such,  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  objects  in  nature,  though  composed  of  simple  mate- 
rials, gathered  chiefly  from  weeds,  and  though  constructed  by 
but  a  single  instrument.  Had  not  man  ideal  in  art,  his  wxorks 
could  not  be  favorably  compared  with  such  a  production  as 
this.  "What  enlightened  person,"  says  an  anonymous  writer, 
whom  I  have  already  quoted,  "can  gaze  upon  this  nest  without 
regretting  that  man  should  in  the  progress  of  civilization  so 
often  forget  nature,  fail  to  appreciate  her,  or  even  wrong  her?" 


8  A  "LinneVs  Emerald"  (Argytira  maculata)  "was  captured  by  Mr.  William 
Brewster,  at  Cambridge,  in  August,  1804;  it  was  moulting,  and  apparently  a 
female."  Though  this  bird  may  actually  have  wandered  here  from  its  home  in 
South  America,  yet  such  an  incident  is  not  likely  to  occur  again. 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND. 

The  Hummingbird's  nest  is  usually  placed  on  the  limb  of  an 
orchard-tree  or  oak,  though  occasionally  fastened  to  the  stalk 
of  a  large  weed.4  Its  depth  is  about  half  an  inch,  and  its 
diameter  inside  is  rarely  more  than  twice  that.  The  walls  are 
thick,  and  are  composed  of  plant-down,  bits  of  fern,  the  silky 
busks  of  certain  seeds,  and  other  soft  materials.  These  are  so 
thickly  coated  with  lichens  as  to  closely  resemble  the  branch 
to  which  they  are  attached.  Near  Boston,  two  eggs  are  laid  in 
each  nest,  in  the  early  part  of  June.  They  are  white,  ellipti- 
cal, and  half  an  inch  long  or  even  less. 

(c).  Our  little  Hummingbirds  deserve  renown,  not  only  for 
their  small  size,  exquisite  colors,  and  eminently  pleasing  archi- 
tecture, but  also  for  their  hardiness,  courage,  and  admirable 
flight.  They  are  known  in  summer  to  occur  so  far  to  the 
northward  (if  not  further)  as  the  fifty-seventh  parallel  of  lati- 
tude, which  crosses  Hudson's  Bay  and  Northern  Labrador. 
They  are  summer-residents  throughout  a  larger  portion  of 
the  eastern  United  States,  and  as  such  are  common  in  New 
England.  They  reach  Massachusetts  in  the  second  week  of 
Ma}-,  and  I  have  seen  them  near  Boston  so  late  as  the  twenty- 
third  day  of  September.5  They  generally  arrive  in  pairs,  and  re- 
turn to  the  same  home  every  year.  The  male  protects  his  honor 
and  rights  with  undaunted  courage,  and  often  teases  very  large 
birds  in  expression  of  his  anger,  though  he  may  be  "  incom- 
petent" says  Wilson  "to  the  exploit  of  penetrating  the  tough 
sinewy  side  of  a  crow,  and  precipitating  it  from  the  clouds  to 
the  earth,  as  Charlevoix  would  persuade  his  readers  to  believe." 
He  also  finds  occasion  to  battle  with  intruders  of  his  own  kind, 
but  it  is  impossible  to  understand  the  details  or  result  of  such 
a  duel,  so  confusing  is  the  intense  quickness  of  the  combatants. 
In  fact,  the  Hummingbirds  are  so  small,  and  so  extremely  swift 


*  Wilson  says  that  he  has  "known  instances  where  it  was  attached  by  the  side 
to  an  old  moss-gvown  trunk;  and  others  where  it  was  fastened  on  a  strong  rank 
Etalk,  or  weed,  in  the  garden."  I  have  been  told  that  the  Hummingbirds  were 
once  very  abundant  on  the  Isle  of  Shoals,  where  there  were  no  trees. 

6Coincidentally  Mr.  Maynard  gives  the  same  day  as  his  latest  date  of  observa- 
tion. 


304  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

in  all  their  movements,  that  it  is  as  difficult  to  observe  them, 
unless  stationary  or  seemingly  so,  as  to  follow  the  course  of  a 
shooting  star.  So  rapid  is  the  beating  of  their  little  pinions, 
that  they  produce  a  loud  humming  whenever  flying,  and  seem 
to  be  immovable,  when  pausing  before  a  flower,  while  the  pres- 
ence of  their  nearly  invisible  wings  is  scarcely  indicated  except 
by  the  constant  buzz  and  whirr.  The  Hummingbirds  have  two 
distinct  methods  of  feeding,  easily  observable  upon  studying 
their  habits.  They  may  be  seen  darting  from  flower  to  flower, 
and  thrusting  their  long  slender  bills  into  the  heart  of  the 
blossoms,  not  only  to  procure  the  honey,  but  to  obtain  the 
smaller  insects  which  feed  upon  it.  Of  all  the  various  flowers 
which  they  visit,  they  show  a  marked  fondness  for  those  which 
are  trumpet-shaped,  such  as  belong  to  the  bignonia  and  honey- 
suckle. They  do  not  frequent  the  lower  and  more  humble 
kinds,  but  prefer  those  which  are  large  and  showy,  and  grow 
on  shrubs,  bushes,  and  vines.  The  taller  garden-flowers  also 
attract  their  attention.  They  are  not  wholly  nectar-fed,  as  has 
poetically  and  popularly  been  supposed  to  be  the  case,  but  are 
chiefly  insectivorous.  They  may  be  seen  perched  on  some 
twig,  from  which  they  shoot  into  the  air,  and  with  great  address 
seize  the  gnats  and  smaller  irisects,  many  of  which  are  invisible 
to  the  naked  human  eye.  They  sometimes  perch  as  if  merely 
to  rest,  the  female  especially.  They  never  alight  upon  the 
ground,  but  they  sometimes  perch  upon  weeds,  and  have  been 
known  to  perish  from  being  caught  in  the  burs  of  the  burdock.6 
They  choose  for  their  haunts  not  only  orchards,  gardens,  and 
groves  near  them,  but  also  forests,  as  I  have  several  times 
observed  among  the  White  Mountains.  It  is  probable  that 
they  much  more  often  frequent  the  woods  in  civilized  districts 
than  is  commonly  supposed.  Though  they  are  jealous,  and 


e This  fact  has  been  communicated  to  the  "Naturalist"  by  Mr.  A.  K.  Fisher. 
The  original  discoverer  of  the  dead  bird  (or  rather  its  remains,  a  skeleton)  ''found 
a  live  one  on  a  plant  near  by."  Mr.  Fisher  himself  found  a  Yellow  Bird  (Cliryso- 
mitris  tristis)  thus  caught,  who  "  tore  itself  away,  leaving  a  number  of  its  feathers 
on  the  burs."  He  also  found  a  Yellow-rumped  Warbler  "fastened  to  the  same 
kind  of  plant." 


OF    NEW    ENGLAND.  305 

daringly  pugnacious,  yet  they  are  known  to  congregate  occa- 
sionally in  flocks,  chiefty  during  the  migrations.  Though  they 
are  apparently  very  hardy,  yet  they  have  never,  I  believe,  been 
successfully  kept  in  confinement  for  a  longer  period  than  a  few 
months.  The  principal  obstacles  in  rearing  them  are  the  in- 
juries which  they  receive,  if  allowed  to  fly  about  a  room,  their 
suffering  from  cold,  and  the  difficulty  of  providing  proper  food, 
since  any  prepared  syrup  apparently  does  not  satisfy  them  ex-  * 
cept  when  young. 

(d).  Their  only  note  is  a  c/tirp,  which  immediately  suggests 
the  voice  of  an  insect. 

No  birds  are  more  generally  beloved  and  admired  than  our 
Hummingbirds,  and  America  may  well  boast  of  a  treasure 
which  no  other  country  possesses. 

§23.   AlcedinidSD.     Kingfishers.     (See  §  22.) 
I.   CERYLE 

(A)    ALCYON.     Belted  Kingfisher.     Kingfisher. 

(A  resident  of  New  England  in  summer,  and  occasionally 
in  winter.) 

(a).  About  12J-  inches  long.  Upper  parts,  sides,  and  a 
breast-band,  ashy-blue.  Head-feathers  darker,  forming  a  loose 
crest,  and  giving  a  rough  outline  to  the  hind-head.  Wings  and 
tail  also  partly  darker,  and  white-spotted.  Broad  collar  (in- 
terrupted behind),  lower  breast,  etc.,  white.  The  latter  in  9 
with  a  band  (often  imperfect)  of  a  chestnut-color,  which  ex- 
tends along  the  sides,  and  sometimes  mixes  with  the  band 
above.7 

(b).  From  the  abundant  evidence  recently  offered  on  the 
subject  of  the  nest,  and  from  my  own  limited  experience,  it 
may  be  gathered  that  it  varies  in  length,  though  sometimes 
nine  feet  long,  that  it  may  be  either  straight  or  have  a  bend, 
and  that  it  is  rarely  lined  at  the  end,  except  with  fish-bones, 
as  is  sometimes  the  case.  That  the  Kingfishers  always  make 


'"Several  specimens  in  the  Smithsonian  collection  marked  female  (perhaps 
erroneously)  show  uo  indication  of  the  chestnut." 

21 


306  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

a  burrow  in  a  bank  of  sand  or  gravel,  in  which  to  lay  their  eggs, 
and  that  they  most  often  do  so  near  water,  and  not  far  from 
the  ground,  are  undisputed  facts.  The  eggs  of  each  set  are 
six  or  seven,  average  1-35X1*05  of  an  inch,  and  are  pure 
white. 

(c).  The  Belted  Kingfisher  is  well  known,  and  "  in  the  sum- 
mer is  found  in  every  portion  of  North  America,  to  the  Arctic 
Ocean  on  the  north,  and  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific."  8 
In  New  England,  this  species  is  occasionally  resident  through- 
out the  year,  but  more  often  appears  about  the  first  of  April, 
and  remains  until  late  in  the  autumn.  Near  Boston  it  probably 
cannot  be  much  longer  ranked  as  a  common  bird,  since,  being 
naturally  shy,  unsocial,  and  averse  to  the  intrusion  of  man, 
it  prefers  wilder  and  less  cultivated  portions  of  the  country. 

Our  common  Kingfishers  are  more  conspicuous  than  actually 
abundant,  and  two  pairs  are  rarely  found  to  occupy  the  same 
hunting-grounds.  They  may  be  found  scattered  throughout 
the  State,  and  stationed  at  mill-ponds,  lakes,  rivers,  and 
trout-streams.  Such  places  are  their  chosen  haunts,  and  there 
they  search  for  their  prey,  while  some  neighboring  sand-bank 
affords  them  a  place  to  excavate  their  long  burrows,  which  they 
do  with  both  bill  and  feet.  They  are  frequently  obliged  to 
wander  in  search  of  their  food,  as  I  have  seen  them  in  warm 
weather  flying  across  the  country  at  some  distance  from  any 
Large  body  or  stream  of  water.  They  fly  rapidly,  with  an  in- 
termittent beating  of  the  wings.  When  watching  for  t  fish, 
upon  which  they  feed  almost  exclusively,  they  perch  on  a  fence 
or  tree  which  stands  immediately  next  to  or  overhangs  the 
water.  From  this  post  they  regard  the  water  closely,  some- 
times flirting  their  tail  or  sounding  their  loud  rattle.  On  see- 
ing a  fish,  they  plunge,  so  as  to  be  completely  immersed,  and 
seizing  it  with  their  sharply  pointed  beak,  carry  it  to  shore, 
where  they  quickly  swallow  it.  Sometimes  they  hunt  like 
hawks,  and,  flying  over  the  surface  of  the  ponds,  hover  before 
plunging.  On  the  approach  of  man,  they  usually  retreat  to 

8  Messrs.  Baird,  Brewer,  &  Ridgway's  "  North  American  Birds." 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  307 

resume  their  occupation  in  a  less  disturbed  quarter.  They  do 
not  attack  large  fish,  but  prefer  those  which  are  collectively 
called  u  small  fry."  Audubon  states  that  he  has  seen  them 
plunge  into  the  sea,  but  the  ocean  must  ordinarily  be  too  rough 
for  them  to  detect  easily  the  small  objects  for  which  they 
search.  They  frequently  use  their  nest  as  a  resort,  probably 
making  it  regularly  a  retreat  for  the  night.  Gosse  speaks  of 
these  birds  as  reaching  Jamaica  u  about  the  beginning  of  Sep- 
tember." In  speaking  of  a  pair,  which  he  afterwards  obtained, 
he  says  :  "  Once  both  birds  seized  the  same  fish,  nearly  at  the 
same  moment,  and  rising  with  it  into  the  air,  each  tugged  in 
contrary  directions,  until  the  grasp  of  one  gave  way.  At  last 
my  assistant  Sam  *  *  *  shot  them  both.  The  first  was  only 
wounded,  and  falling  into  the  water  swam  out  sea-ward,  strik- 
ing out  boldly,  the  wings,  however,  partially  opened.  On 
being  seized  he  proved  very  fierce,  erecting  the  long  crest,  and 
endeavoring  to  strike  with  his  pointed  beak.  He  got  hold  of 
my  thumb,  and  squeezed  so  powerfully,  that  the  cutting  edge 
of  the  upper  mandible  sliced  a  piece  of  flesh  clean  out.  He 
was  tenacious  of  life,  for  though  I  pressed  the  trachea  until 
motion  ceased,  he  repeatedly  revived." 

(d).  The  only  note  of  the  Belted  Kingfisher  is  loud  and 
harsh,  resembling  the  sound  produced  by  a  watchman's  rattle. 

§  24.    CuCUlidae.     Cuckoos.     (See  §  22,  adfinem.) 

I.   COCCYGUS 

(A)    AMERICANUS.     Yellow-billed  Cuckoo. 

(A  summer-resident  in  Massachusetts,  but  rather  rare.) 

(a).  About  twelve  inches  long.  Lower  mandible,  almost 
entirely  yellow.  Above,  drab,  or  u  quaker "  brown  (with 
bronzy  reflections).  Wings  edged  with  cinnamon.  Outer  tail- 
feathers,  wholly  black  and  white.  Beneath,  white. 

(6).  The  nest  is  hardly  worthy  of  the  name,  but  is  generally 
a  frail  structure  composed  of  a  few  twigs,  and  placed  in  a  bush 
or  low  tree,  not  far  from  the  ground.  I  have  usually  found  it 
in  dry  places,  such  as  dry  woods,  bushy  pastures,  and  occa- 
sionally orchards,  or  even  the  "scrub."  Near  Boston,  it  is 


308  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

built  about  the  first  of  June  ;  "  built,"  however,  is  not  a  term 
invariably  applicable  to  this  nest,  as  I  have  known  it  to  con- 
sist of  a  cotton-rag,  which  was  firmly  caught  in  the  thorns  of  a 
barberry-bush.  The  eggs,  which  in  many  cases  are  laid  at  ir- 
regular intervals,  average  1*25  X  '87  of  an  inch,  and  are  light 
greenish-blue,  but  rarely  or  .never  elliptical. 


Fig.  17.    Yellow-billed  Cuckoo  (£). 

(c).  The  Yellow-billed  Cuckoos  have  evidently  become  very 
much  less  common  near  Boston  than  they  once  were,  and  are 
now  considered  rare  in  many  if  not  all  parts  of  New  England. 
In  general  habits  they  are  closely  allied  to  the  more  common 
Black-billed  Cuckoos,  whose  habits  will  be  fulty  detailed  in  the 
next  biography.  They  differ  chiefly  in  having  a  rather  less 
rapid  flight,  a  greater  fondness  for  high,  dry,  and  wooded 
lands,  and  a  somewhat  different  diet.  Their  habit  of  laying 
eggs  at  intervals  of  several  da}7s,  also  observable  in  the  other 
species,  is  enough  to  distinguish  them  from  nearly  all  our  other 
land-birds.  It  is  not  rare  to  find  their  nest  containing  both 
young  and  eggs  at  very  different  stages  of  development.  I 
once  found  a  Robin's  nest  in  the  same  condition,  but  such  a 
case  was  wholly  exceptional.  The  female  Cuckoo,  when  ap- 
proached while  on  her  nest,  usually  sits  bravely,  but  finally 
throws  herself  upon  the  ground,  and  flutters  away,  uttering 
piteous  and  uncouth  sounds,  which  can  hardly  fail  to  distract 
the  attention  of  an  egg-hunter  ;  but  this  device  rarely  succeeds, 
since  it  is  resorted  to  too  late. 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  309 

(d).  The  notes  of  the  Yellow-billed  Cuckoo  do  not  differ 
distinctly  from  those  of  the  Black-billed  species,  though  often 
harsher. 

(B)    ERYTHROPTHALMUS.     Black-billed  Cuckoo. 

(A  summer-resident  of  all  the  Eastern  States,  but  more 
common  to  the  southward.) 

(a).  Nearly  a  foot  long.  Eye-ring,  red.  Above,  drab  or 
"quaker"  brown  (with  bronzy  reflections).  Beneath,  white, 
often  slightly  tinged.  Outer  tail-feathers  white-tipped  (and 
slightly  sub-tipped  with  blackish). 

(b).  The  nest  differs  from  that  of  the  Yellow-billed  Cuckoo 
in  being  most  often  built  in  wet  lands,  and  in  being  less  care- 
lessly constructed  ;  strips  of  bark,  or  leaves,  are  often  added 
to  the  usual  sticks  and  twigs.  It  is  placed  in  a  bush,  low  tree, 
or  briar,  not  far  from  the  ground,  and  here  is  finished  in  the 
first  week  of  June.  The  eggs  are  darker  and  greener  than 
those  of  the  other  species,  and  are  elliptical.  They  average 
about  1-15  X  '87  of  an  inch. 

(c).  The  Black-billed  Cuckoos  are  moderately  common  sum- 
mer-residents in  southern  New  England,  but  to  the  northward 
become  rare.  They  reach  Massachusetts  in  the  third  week  of 
May,  and  leave  it  in  the  earlier  part  of  September.  They 
arrive  singly  or  in  pairs,  and  at  once  announce  their  arrival  by 
their  peculiar  and  characteristic  notes.  They  frequent  woods 
and  shrubbery,  particularly  in  low  grounds  or  swamps,  and  visit 
orchards  or  cultivated  lands.  They  fly  rapidly,  and  often  quite 
far,  moving  their  wings  with  regularity.  On  alighting  in  a  bush 
or  tree  (for  they  seldom  alight  on  the  ground),  they  choose 
a  perch  sheltered  by  the  foliage,  and  often  move  their  tail  in 
an  odd,  deliberate  manner,  as  if  just  about  to  fly  off.  They 
are  eminently  cowards,  and  rely  much  upon  concealment,  but, 
perhaps  on  this  account,  they  ma}r  often  be  closely  approached 
by  man.  They  feed  partly  upon  berries,  and  also,  it  is  said, 
upon  "fresh-water  shell  fish  and  aquatic  larvae,"  but  they  are 
chiefly  insectivorous.  They  undoubtedly  confer  great  benefits 
upon  agriculturists,  and  are  our  principal  birds  to  attack  and 


310  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

devour  caterpillars  in  the  nest.  On  the  other  hand,  they  do 
great  mischief  in  destroying  the  eggs  of  other  useful  birds. 
Like  arrant  cowards,  as  they  are,  they  take  opportunities  to 
approach  stealthily  the  nests  of  many  birds,  whom  they  would 
be  afraid  to  encounter,  and  then  feast  on  the  eggs  of  the  absent 
parents,  after  which  they  hurry  away.  They  are  scarcely  less 
destructive  in  this  way  than  the  Black  Snakes,  though  I  have 
never  known  them  to  kill  young  birds.  In  this  connection,  it 
maj7  be  remarked  that  the  common  red  squirrels  (often  called 
red  "ferrets")  greatly  check  the  increase  of  our  birds,  though 
the  little  "chipmonks"  are,  I  believe,  quite  harmless  in  this 
respect.  These  latter,  often  called  Striped  or  Ground  Squir- 
rels, are  much  less  adroit  climbers  than  the  former,  and  are 
comparatively  seldom-  seen  in  trees.  Kecently,  however,  I 
observed  one  who  was  feeding  at  noon  on  a  large  stone,  which 
he  had  established  as  his  dining-table,  and  who,  after  his  meal, 
climbed  up  a  stump  luxuriantly  covered  with  the  poisonous 
"  ivy,"  evidently  to  enjoy  a  siesta.  There,  curled  up  on  one 
of  the  branches,  at  some  height  from  the  ground,  he  rested  for 
some  while,  occasionally  allowing  himself  "forty  winks,"  but 
usually  keeping  his  eyes  open  to  aid  in  the  detection  of  danger. 
He  was  undoubtedly  disturbed  by  his  children  at  home ;  but 
he  must  provide  for  them ;  so  he  reluctantly  descended,  and, 
filling  his  pouches  to  an  almost  incredible  extent,  disappeared 
down  his  hole  in  the  lawn.  The  red  "ferrets"  are  said  to 
throw  young  birds  wantonly  from  the  nest.  This  I  have  never 
observed,  but  I  have  frequently  seen  them  apparently  hunting 
for  nests  and  actually  robbing  them  of  eggs.  They  climb  clev- 
erly, leap  without  hesitation  from  bough  to  bough,  or  tree  to 
tree,  and  scamper  over  the  ground  with  rapidity,  even  doing 
so  while  carrying  one  of  their  young  between  their  teeth. 

(d).  The  notes  of  the  Cuckoo  are  all  unmusical,  and  more 
or  less  uncouth  and  guttural.  They  are  much  varied,  being 
sometimes  cow-cow-cow-cow-cow,  cow-cow,  sometimes  cuckoo- 
cuckoo-cuckoo,  sometimes  cuckucow',  cuckucow1,  and  at  other 
times  low.  Many  of  them  are  very  liquid,  but  I  have  heard 
one  cry  which  has  an  affinity  to  that  of  certain  woodpeckers. 
The  Cuckoos  may  sometimes  be  heard  at  night. 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  311 

§  25.  The  Picid.89  (or  woodpeckers)  form  a  remarkably 
distinct  group,  characterized  by  having  two  toes  in  front,  and 
two  (or  only  one)  behind  ;  ten  primaries,  of  which  the  first  is 
spurious,  and  a  stiff  tail  of  twelve  feathers,  of  which  the  outer- 
most are  also  spurious. 

In  Colaptes  (standing  at  one  end  of  the  group,  and  next  to 
the  Cuckoos),  the  bill  is  three  or  four  times  as  long  as  high, 
rather  slender,  pointed,  and  with  the  commissure,  as  well  as 
the  upper  outline,  convex  ;  the  nostrils  are  exposed.  In  Picus 
(a  genus  near  the  other  end,  containing  typical  woodpeckers), 
the  bill  is  stouter,  the  outlines  nearly  straight,  the  end  blunted 
or  truncate,  and  the  nostrils  concealed.  In  other  genera,  the 
bills  are  more  or  less  intermediate.  In  this  family,  as  in  some 
others,  it  has  not  been  thought  advisable  to  present  certain  di- 
visions in  classification,  which  have  been  recently  established 
in  scientific  works.  (See  figs.  18  and  19,  and  pi.  1,  fig.  25.) 

In  Colaptes,  the  birds  are  largely  terrestrial,  feed  much  upon 
ants,  and  frequently  perch  on  branches  crosswise. 

In  Spliyrapicus,  the  birds  possess  a  peculiar  tongue,  and  do 
mischief  by  stripping  off  bark,  and  feeding  on  the  lining. 

In  Picoides,  the  birds  are  three-toed,  and  boreal. 

In  Hylotomus,  the  birds  are  crested  and  wholly  (?)  non- 
migratory.  The  woodpeckers  are  all  more  or  less  brightly 
colored,  at  least  the  males,  and  the  sexes  are  differently  col- 
ored. They  are  principally  noted  for  hopping  about  the  trunks 
and  larger  limbs  of  trees,  supported  by  their  tails,  and  rapidly 
hammering  with  their  bills  to  extract  the  grubs,  etc.,  upon 
which  the}'  feed,  as  well  as  on  berries,  or  even  sometimes  grain. 
They  are  often  social,  but  never  strictly  gregarious,  so  far  as  I 
have  observed,  partty,  perhaps,  because  permanent  residents 
in  their  summer-homes  or  only  partially  migratory.  They  fre- 
quent forests,  woods,  and  orchards,  where  they  build  their 
nests  by  excavating  a  very  neat  hole  in  sound  or  decayed  wood. 
In  this,  which  contains  no  lining,  from  four  to  six  very  smooth 
•white  eggs  are  laid.  The  notes  of  the  woodpeckers  are  un- 
musical, being  variously  screams,  or  rather  shrill  notes,  pitched 
on  a  high  key. 


312 


LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 


I.   COLAPTES 

(A)  AURATUS.  Golden-winged  Woodpecker.  Pigeon  Wood- 
pecker; "  Flicker."  "  High-hole."  "  Yellow-shafted  Wood- 
pecker." "  Yellow-hammer."  (Also  eight  other  names.) 

(In  Massachusetts,  a  common  summer-resident,  but  much 
less  abundant  in  winter.) 

(a).   About 


inches  long. 


Above,  umber  brown,  black- 
barred  ;  tail  and  primaries, 
chiefly  black  ;  rump,  while. 
Crown  and  nape,  dark 
gray,  with  a  scarlet  cres- 
cent behind.  Throat,  and 
upper  breast,  cinnamon  or 
"  lilac-brown  ;"  the  latter 
with  a  black  crescent,  and 
$  with  a  black  maxillary 
patch.  Under  parts,  oth- 
erwise white,  variously 
tinged,  and  black-spotted. 
Wings  and  tail,  (chiefly) 
bright  yelloiv  beneath. 

(b).  The  nests  of  our 
various  woodpeckers  differ 
but  little  except  in  size 
or  situation.  They  always 
consist  of  a  hole,  gener- 
ally excavated  by  the  birds  themselves  in  a  tree,  or  rarely  a 
post,  which  may  be  either  sound  or  rotten.  They  are  usually 
made  more  than  six  feet  from  the  ground,  and  more  often  in  a 
trunk  than  in  a  limb.  The}''  vary  in  length  from  six  to  even 
forty  inches,  and  are  enlarged  near  the  bottom,  though  rarefy 
or  never  lined.  They  are  not  always  straight,  but  the  entrance 
is  almost  invariably  round,  unless  arched,  as  is  often  the  case 
with  those  of  the  present  species.  No  nests  require  more  pa- 
tience in  construction  than  these;  yet  they  are,  in  their  way, 
master-pieces,  being  smooth,  symmetrical,  and,  as  it  were, 
highly  finished.  ' 


Fig.  18.    Golden-winged  Woodpecker 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  313 

The  nest  of  the  "  Flicker"  may  be  found  in  maples,  oaks, 
apple-trees,  and  occasionally  pines  or  birches,  but  more  often 
in  some  collection  of  trees  than  in  an  exposed  place.  In  Mas- 
sachusetts, it  is  finished  about  the  middle  of  May,  or  earlier. 
The  eggs,  like  those  of  all  woodpeckers,  have  a  smooth,  white, 
unspotted9  shell,  and  are  often  elliptical.  They  average  about 
1-15  X  '90  of  an  inch. 

(c).  As  is  indicated  by  the  great  number  of  nick-names  be- 
stowed upon  them,  the  Golden-winged  Woodpeckers  are  com- 
mon and  well-known  throughout  a  large  tract  of  country.  In 
fact,  they  may  be  found  in  summer  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico 
to  Hudson's  Bay,  and  in  many  places,  inclusive  of  Massachu- 
setts, they  may  be  found  throughout  the  year.  Near  Boston, 
however,  they  are  rather  rare  in  winter.  They  usually  become 
common  between  the  middle  of  March  and  the  first  of  April, 
and  continue  so  until  the  approach  of  winter.  Though  social, 
and  in  autumn  somewhat  gregarious,  they  usually  arrive  in. pairs, 
who  return  every  year  to  their  former  haunts,  but  who  gen- 
erally build  a  fresh  nest.  'JThis  latter  work  they  begin  in  April. 
Having  chosen  a  suitable  tree,  by  the  roadside,  in  the  orchard, 
or  the  woods,  they  proceed  to  excavate,  the  male  and  female 
laboring  alternately.  Observe  one  at  work.  Clinging  to  the 
trunk  with  his  feet,  but  supporting  himself  by  his  rigid  tail,  he 
draws  back  his  muscular  head,  delivers  a  vigorous  stroke,  and 
cuts  a  chip  from  the  wood,  which  is  generally  dropped  on  the 
ground  just  outside.  The  hole  (about  three  inches  wide)  is 
gradually  deepened  at  the  rate  of  between  one-half  and  a  whole 
inch  each  day,  so  that  he  can  cling  to  the  lower  edge  of  the 
entrance  while  working.  Finally  he  is  lost  to  sight,  and  his 
operations  can  no  longer  be  watched,  for  usually,  if  closely  ap- 
proached, he  ceases  his  labors  and  flies  awa}^.  Indeed,  he  is 
so  suspicious  as  sometimes  to  be  startled  by  the  sdund  of  dis- 
tant foot-steps,  and  even  to  desert  an  unfinished  nest  if  discov- 
ered. Moreover,  he  is  fastidious,  and  often,  displeased  with 


»There  are  frequently  apparent  markings,  which   can   easily,  however,  be 
washed  off. 


314  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

the  result  of  his  first  efforts,  he  begins  again  in  another  place 
or  a  different  tree.  It  is  nearly  or  quite  as  common  to  find  the 
uncompleted  excavations  of  this  species  and  the  Downy  Wood- 
pecker, as  to  find  their  finished  nests.  I  have  seen  a  tree  with 
eight  of  the  latter  and  three  of  the  former.  Immediately  or 
soon  after  the  middle  of  May  (near  Boston),  six  eggs  are  gen- 
erally laid,  sometimes  at  irregular  intervals.  A  dozen  eggs  or 
more,  however,  have  been  found  in  the  same  nest,  but  these 
had  probably  been  laid  by  two  or  more  females.  The  female 
sometimes  continues  to  lay,  if  robbed  of  her  eggs,  or,  after 
deepening  the  hole,  lays  another  set.  Even  this  is  often 
taken  by  boys,  to  whom  few  birds  are  more  familiar  than  these. 
The  young  at  an  early  age  scramble  out  to  the  fresh  air,  and 
about  their  native  tree,  until  old  enough  to  fly. 

The  Pigeon  Woodpeckers,  as  they  are  often  called,  frequent 
woods,  orchards,  pastures,  fields,  roadsides,  and  nearly  all  our 
kinds  of  trees,  except  the  evergreens,  for  which  they  show  no 
fondness.  They  may  often  be  seen  upon  the  ground,  actively 
engaged  in  the  destruction  of  antsj( which  chiefly  constitute 
their  diet),  or  hopping  over  our  lawns  in  search  of  other  in- 
sects. Sometimes,  fluttering  before  a  vine,  they  seize  its  ber- 
ries ;  sometimes  they  visit  gardens  not  only  for  grubs  but  for 
grain,  and  sometimes,  like  true  woodpeckers,  they  hop  about 
trees  in  the  search  of  insects,  or  of  their  larvae  and  eggs.  They 
usually  perch  crosswise,  which  our  other  woodpeckers  rarely  do. 
They  fly  with  ease,  and  often  rapidity,  moving  through  the  air 
at  a  moderate  height  in  gentle  undulations,  with  an  intermit- 
tent beating  of  the  wings.  They  are  naturally  shy,  and, 
though  found  in  man's  society,  rather  avoid  his  near  approach. 
They  are  also  affectionate,  merry,  and  even  noisy.  Buffon 
supposed  them  to  lead  a  dull,  toilsome,  and  wearisome  life, — 
an  idea  which  both  Wilson  and  Audubon  have  indignantly 
refuted. 

(d).  The  three  principal  notes  of  the  Pigeon  Woodpeckers 
are:  (1)  A  loud  scream,  wholly  without  the  savageness  ob- 
servable in  those  of  many  birds  of  prey,  but,  on  the  contrary, 
rather  jovial,  (2)  the  rapid  repetition  of  another  unmusical 


OF    NEW  ENGLAND.  315 

though  merry  sound,  and  finally  a  lower  note,  chiefly  of  affec- 
tion, to  which  rnan}r  of  their  names  owe  their  origin,  such  as  that 
of  "  flicker."  This  last  cry  is  a  series  of  dissyllabic  notes,  and 
sounds  like  wick'-a-wick'-a-wick'-a-wick'-a-wick'-a-wick'-a.  This 
is  rarely  heard  unless  two  birds  are  together. 

The  Golden-winged  Woodpeckers  are  undoubtedly  less  bene- 
ficial than  many  others  of  their  tribe,  but  they  never  do  enough 
injury  to  warrant  their  death  at  the  hands  of  farmers.  They 
are,  however,  but  little  molested,  I  believe,  except  by  young 
sportsmen. 

II.   MELANERPES 

(A)    ERYTHROCEPHALUS.10     Red-headed  Woodpecker. 

(Scarcely  now  to  be  ranked  as  a  bird  of  Massachusetts.) 

(a).  About  9J  inches  long.  Head,  crimson.  Interscapu- 
lars,  wings,  and  tail,  blue-black,  highly  glossed  on  the  back 
and  shoulders.  Other  parts  (and  the  secondaries),  whit6. 

(6).  The  eggs  average  about  1-10  X  *85  of  an  inch.  See 
I,  A,  b. 

(c).  The  Red-headed  Woodpeckers  were  once  common  about 
Boston,  but  I  have  seen  but  one  within  the  last  five  years.  I 
know  no  part  of  New  England  where  they  are  not  rare,  and 
I  shall  therefore  quote  a  large  part  of  Wilson's  biography  of 
this  species.  "There  is  perhaps  no  bird  in  North  America 
more  universally  known  than  this.  His  tri-colored  plumage, 
red,  white,  and  black  glossed  with  steel  blue,  is  so  striking, 
and  characteristic ;  and  his  predatory  habits  in  the  orchards 
and  corn  fields,  added  to  his  numbers  and  fondness  for  hover- 
ing along  the  fences,  so  very  notorious,  that  almost  every  child 
is  acquainted  with  the  Red-headed  Woodpecker.  In  the  imme- 
diate neighbourhood  of  our  large  cities,  where  the  old  timber 
is  chiefly  cut  down,  he  is  not  so  frequently  found  ;  and  yet  at 
this  present  time,  June,  1808,  I  know  of  several  of  their  nests 
within  the  boundaries  of  the  city  of  Philadelphia.  Two  of 


10 The  Ked-bellied  Woodpecker  (Centurus  Carolinensis,  with  the  crown  and  nape 
bright  red,  or  in  the  female  partly  so)  may  rarely  occur  in  New  England. 


316  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

these  are  in  Button-wood  trees  (Platanns  occidentalis),  and 
another  in  the  decayed  limb  of  a  large  elm.  The  old  ones  I 
observe  make  their  excursions  regularly  to  the  woods  beyond 
the  Sclmylkill,  about  a  mile  distant ;  preserving  great  silence 
and  circumspection  in  visiting  their  nests ;  precautions  not 
much  attended  to  by  them  in  the  depth  of  the  woods,  because 
there  the  prying  eye  of  man  is  less  to  be  dreaded.  Towards 
the  mountains,  particularly  in  the  vicinity  of  creeks  and  rivers, 
these  birds  are  extremely  abundant,  especially  in  the  latter 
end  of  summer.  Wherever  you  travel  in  the  interior  at  that 
season,  you  hear  them  screaming  from  the  adjoining  woods, 
rattling  on  the  dead  limbs  of  trees,  or  on  the  fences,  where 
they  are  perpetually  seen  flitting  from  stake  to  stake  on  the 
road  side,  before  you.  Wherever  there  is  a  tree,  or  trees,  of 
the  wild  cherry,  covered  with  ripe  fruit,  there  you  see  them 
busy  among  the  branches ;  and  in  passing  orchards,  you  may 
easily  know  where  to  find  the  earliest,  sweetest  apples,  by  ob- 
serving those  trees,  on  or  near  which  the  Red-headed  Wood- 
pecker is  skulking  ;  for  he  is  so  excellent  a  connoisseur  in  fruit, 
that  wherever  an  apple  or  pear  is  found  broached  by  him,  it  is 
sure  to  be  among  the  ripest  and  best  flavored.  When  alarmed, 
he  seizes  a  capital  one  by  striking  his  open  bill  deep  into  it, 
and  bears  it  off  to  the  woods.  When  the  Indian  corn  is  in  its 
rich,  succulent,  milky  state,  he  attacks  it  with  great  eagerness, 
opening  a  passage  thro  the  numerous  folds  of  the  husk,  and 
feeding  on  it  with  voracity.  The  girdled,  or  deadened  timber, 
so  common  among  corn  fields  in  the  back  settlements,  are  his 
favorite  retreats,  whence  he  sallies  out  to  make  his  depreda- 
tions. He  is  fond  of  the  ripe  berries  of  the  sour  gum  ;  and 
pays  pretty  regular  visits  to  the  cherry-trees,  when  loaded  with 
fruit.  Towards  Fall  he  often  approaches  the  barn  or  farm 
house,  and  raps  on  the  shingles  and  weather  boards.  He  is  of 
a  gay  and  frolicsome  disposition  ;  and  half  a  dozen  of  the  fra- 
ternity are  frequently  seen  diving  and  vociferating  around  the 
high  dead  limbs  of  some  large  tree,  pursuing  and  playing  with 
each  other,  and  amusing  the  passenger  with  their  gambols. 
Their  note  or  cry  is  shrill  and  lively,  and  so  much  resembles 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  317 

that  of  a  species  of  tree-frog  which  frequents  the  same  tree, 
that  it  is  sometimes  difficult  to  distinguish  the  one  from  the 
other." 

Wilson  eloquently  defends  this  bird,  proving  his  beneficial 
nature.  He  adds:  "The  Red-headed  Woodpecker  is,  properly 
speaking,  a  bird  of  passage  ;  tho  even  in  the  eastern  states 
individuals  are  found  during  moderate  winters,  as  well  as  in 
the  states  of  New  York  and  Pennsylvania ;  in  Carolina  they 
are  somewhat  more  numerous  during  that  season  ;  but  not  one 
tenth  of  what  are  found  in  summer.  They  make  their  appear- 
ance in  Pennsylvania  about  the  first  of  May ;  and  leave  us 
about  the  middle  of  October." 

III.   SPHYRAPICUS 

(A)    VARIUS.     Yellow-bellied  Woodpecker.11 

(In  Massachusetts,  chiefly  a  migrant.) 

(a).  About  8£  inches  long.  Wings  and  tail,  black  and 
white.  Above,  brownish  or  yellowish,  marked  with  black.  Be- 
neath, yellowish  ;  sides  black-streaked.  Crown-patch,  scarlet ; 
throat-patch,  scarlet,  or  in  9  whitish.  Border  of  both  patches, 
and  eye-stripe,  black.  Head  otherwise  white  or  yellowish. 

(6).  The  nest  is  to  be  found  in  woods  or  sometimes  or- 
chards. The  eggs  of  each  set  are  four  or  five,  and  average 
about  -95  X  '80  of  an  inch.  See  I,  A,  b. 

(c).  The  Yellow-bellied  Woodpeckers  probably  occur  in 
Eastern  Massachusetts  as  migrants  only,  though  summer-resi- 
dents to  the  westward  ("beyond  Springfield  "),  and  to  the 
northward,  as  in  Canada,  or  the  northernmost  parts  of  New 
England,  where  they  are  quite  common.  Near  Boston,  I  have 
seen  them  about  the  middle  of  April,  and  again  in  October,, 
but  I  have  always  found  them  rare.  They  are  somewhat  shy, 
and  usually  silent.  They  travel  singly  or  in  pairs,  and  fre- 
quent woods  rather  than  orchards.  I  have  seen  a  pair,  how- 
ever, on  a  pine-tree,  so  near  a  house,  that  they  were  fired  at 
with  a  parlor-rifle  from  the  windows.  As  each  bullet  struck 

11 A  Mexican  species,  Centurua  aurifrons,  bears  the  same  name. 


318  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

the  tree,  near  the  spot  where  the  male  was  at  work,  if  he 
moved,  it  was  only  to  return  immediately.  He  escaped  appar- 
ently uninjured  and  continued  for  some  time  to  dig  out  a  hole 
in  the  trunk,  for  what  purpose  I  am  uncertain,  as  this  was  on 
the  4th  of  October,  and  on  the  following  day  he  disappeared. 
If  any  of  our  woodpeckers  are  injurious,  this  species  (including 
the  next  variety)  is  the  only  one.  The  Yellow-bellied  Wood- 
peckers are  well  known  to  strip  off  the  bark  of  various  trees, 
not  to  obtain  insects  so  often  as  to  feed  upon  the  inner  bark. 
Sometimes,  like  the  Downy  Woodpeckers,  they  bore  deep  holes, 
especially  in  orchard-trees,  whence  they  have  been  called  "  sap- 
suckers."  They  feed  upon  berries,  and  quite  often,  in  common 
with  other  members  of  their  family,  catch  insects  in  the  man- 
ner of  flycatchers,  by  darting  at  them  from  a  perch.  Their 
tongue  is  peculiarly  constructed,  and  they  cannot  obtain  an 
abundance  of  food  in  the  characteristic  manner  of  their  tribe. 
They  do  not,  however,  so  far  as  I  know,  ever  seek  it  on  the 
ground,  though  they  sometimes  visit  fallen  logs.  They  fly  in 
undulations  and  rarely  very  far.  Among  the  White  Moun- 
tains, they  may  be  seen  not  only  in  the  woods,  where  removed 
from  civilization,  but  also  not  unfrequently  along  the  road- 
sides. 

(d).  Their  ordinary  note  is  an  indescribable  whine,  like 
a  puppy's  moan,  though  Mr.  Maynard  thought  that  their 
alarm-note  closely  resembled  that  of  the  Blue  Jay.  But  many 
of  our  woodpeckers  delight  in  a  music  peculiarly  their  own, 
yet  not  unlike  the  drumming  of  the  Ruffed  Grouse.  In  spring, 
alighting  on  some  tree,  particularly  one  which  is  somewhat 
hollow  and  resonant,  they  rap  loudly.  The  male  and  female 
often  do  this  in  response  to  one  another,  and  it  is,  almost  un- 
doubtedly, a  love-note.  It  is  the  only  music  which  our  wood- 
peckers can  produce,  and  it  is  for  them  by  far  the  easiest  way 
of  expressing  their  affection. 

Shyrapicus  varius  var.  nuclialis,  so-called,  the  Red-naped  or 
Red-throated  Woodpecker,  is  probably  an  abnormal  form,  or  a 
distinct  species,  or  else  its  occurrence  in  New  England  must 
be  quite  accidental.  The  last  is  probably  the  case,  as  it  is 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  319 

said  that  only  two  specimens  have  been  taken  in  this  part  of  the 
country,  and  nuchalis  may  be  treated  as  a  western  race.  It 
differs  from  true  varius  in  having  a  red  patch  on  the  hind-head 
or  nape,  and  more  or  less  red  on  the  throat  of  the  female. 
Yet,  in  Messrs.  Baird,  Brewer,  &  Ridgway's  "  North  American 
Birds,"  it  is  stated  that  of  true  varius  a  female  from  Washing- 
ton, D.  C.,  has  red  on  the  throat,  and  a  male  from  Carlisle, 
Pennsylvania,  has  it  on  the  nape.  The  habits  and  notes  of  the 
Red-naped  Woodpeckers  are  described  as  similar  to  those  of 
the  Yellow-bellied  kind,  and  the  biographical  details  of  one  (ex- 
cept as  regards  migrations  and  distribution)  are  applicable  to 
the  other. 

IV.   PICOIDES 

(A)  ARCTICUS.  (Northern  or)  Black-backed  Three-toed  Wood- 
pecker. 

(A  resident  of  northern  New  England,  but  of  accidental  oc- 
currence in  Massachusetts,  in  fall  or  winter.) 

(«).  About  nine  inches  long.  Wings  and  tail,  black  and 
white.  Upper  parts  (and  a  maxillary  line),  glossy  black.  Be- 
neath, white,  banded  on  the  sides  with  black.  $  ,  with  a  yel- 
low crown-patch. 

(6).  The  nest  may  be  found  in  forests,  chiefly  in  evergreens. 
The  eggs  seem  to  average  about  -90  X  '75  of  an  inch  ;  but  two 
in  my  collection  measure  1-05  X  "85.  See  I,  A,  b. 

(c).  The  subjects  of  this  biography  have  been  given  a  name, 
which  is  no  less  resounding  than  their  rapping  in  the  forests, 
namely  :  Northern  Black-backed  Orange-crowned  Three-toed 
Woodpeckers.12  These  birds  are  extremely  rare  or  accidental 
in  Massachusetts,  and  in  no  part  of  New  England  are  common 
summer-residents,  unless  far  to  the  northward,  where  they  are 
resident  throughout  the  3Tear,  though  more  common  in  winter. 
I  have  found  the  nest  among  the  White  Mountains,  but  I  have 
not  often  seen  the  birds.  They  inhabit  the  extensive  and 
thickly  timbered  forests,  frequenting  the  evergreens  rather 

12  This  full  title  has  actually  appeared  in  print. 


320  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

more  than  other  species  (unless  the  next).-  They  lead  an 
active  life,  and,  like  others  of  their  tribe,  are  restless.  They 
partly  examine  the  trunk  perhaps  of  a  fine  hemlock  more  than 
a  hundred  feet  high,  and  then,  as  if  dissatisfied,  fly  down  to 
hop  about  a  fallen  log.  They  may  occasionally  vary  this  life 
by  fly-catching,  and  in  autumn  undoubtedly  feed  on  berries,  in 
spite  of  the  inexhaustible  insect-wealth  of  the  forests  in  which 
they  live.  They  fly  in  undulations,  but  rather  rapidly,  often 
screaming  as  they  do  so. 

(d).  Their  loud,  shrill  notes  cannot  easily  be  described. 
Audubon  considered  them  "  like  those  of  some  small  quadru- 
ped suffering  great  pain  ;"  but  I  have  never  heard  the  "  shrill, 
harsh,  rattling  cry  "  which  Dr.  Cooper  ascribes  to  this  species. 
Authors  must,  however,  necessarily  differ  in  their  descriptions 
of  what  it  is  nearly  impossible  to  describe  satisfactorily. 

(B)    AMERICANUS.     Banded  Three-toed  Woodpecker. 

(Much  rarer  in  New  England  than  the  last  species.) 

(a).  Essentially  like  the  Black-backed  Woodpecker  (A), 
but  with  the  back  banded  by  white. 

(6).  "The  nest  and  eggs  do  not  differ  from  those  of  P.  Arc- 
ticus." 

(c).  The  Banded  Three-toed  Woodpeckers  have  an  Arctic 
(or  circumpolar)  distribution,  and  in  New  England  are  rarer 
than  even  the  Black-backed  Woodpeckers.  They  have  not 
been  captured  in  Massachusetts,  except  in  a  few  isolated  in- 
stances, of  which  I  find  only  one  recorded.  They  probably 
breed  in  northern  New  England  to  a  limited  extent,  since 
"Mr.  Brewster  took  two  adult  males  at  Gorham,  July  30th, 
1870,  and  one  at  Umbagog  the  first  week  in  June,  1871."  Mr. 
Maynard  says:  "I  took  a  single  specimen  at  Errol,  October 
31st,  1869.  This  species  has  a  harsh,  discordant  note."  Au- 
dubon never  saw  these  woodpeckers,  and  drew  his  figures  from 
specimens  lent  him  by  the  Council  of  the  Zoological  Society 
of  London.  I  have  scarcel}r  been  more  fortunate,  having  seen 
but  one.  This  was  on  the  roadside,  not  far  from  the  Glen 
House  in  the  White  Mountains,  and  in  August.  During  the 


OF   NEW    ENGLAND.  321 

momentary  glimpse  which  I  then  had,  I  observed  nothing 
peculiar  in  his  habits.  I  have  never  found  their  nest  or  seen 
their  eggs. 

V.   PICUS 

(A)    VILLOSUS.     Hairy  Woodpecker. 

(Not  common  in  Massachusetts,  but  abundant  in  the  forests 
of  northern  New  England,  where  it  breeds.) 

(a).  About  9 A  inches  long,  g  , 
with  a  scarlet  patch  on  the  hind- 
head.  Under  parts, central  back, and 
outer  tail-feathers,  white.  (Feath- 
ers about  the  nostrils,  yellowish.) 
Otherwise  black  and  white. 

[NOTE.  There  are  Western  va- 
rieties of  this  and  the  next  species, 
with  a  soiling  of  gray  on  the  breast, 
and  without  white  spots  on  the 
wing-coverts.] 

(6).  The  eggs  of  each  set  are 
four  or  five,  and  measure  '85  X  '65 
of  an  inch,  or  more.  The  nest  is 
built  in  woods,  or  sometimes  or- 
chards, and  in  Massachusetts  is 
finished  about  the  tenth  of  May. 

J        Fig.  19.    Hairy  Woodpecker  Q). 

(See  I,  A,  6.) 

(c).  The  Hairy  \Voodpeckers  are  resident  throughout  the 
eastern  United  States,  and  in  summer,  if  not  also  in  winter,  may 
be  found  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  so  far  to  the  northward  as 
forests  extend.  Yet  they  rarely  breed  in  Eastern  Massachu- 
setts, and  are  not  even  common  in  winter.  The  constant  de- 
crease of  woodland  in  this  part  of  the  State  has  caused  them 
in  a  great  measure  to  desert  it,  but  in  the  forests  of  Maine 
and  New  Hampshire  they  are  abundant  throughout  the  year. 
Near  Boston,  they  frequent  orchards  as  much  as  the  woods. 
Excepting  in  being  much  less  familiar  toward  man,  and  more 
fond  of  solitude,  they  scarcely  differ  in  habits  from  the  com- 
22 


322  '  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

mon  little  spotted  or  Downy  Woodpecker.  Audubon  has  repre- 
sented these  birds  in  no  less  than  six  assumed  species,  so  great 
is  the  variation  in  size,  and  in  the  colors  of  the  young.  He 
•even  undertook  to  point  out  differences  in  manner  and  voice, 
between  those  of  New  Hampshire  and  those  of  Maine.  Here 
his  imagination  almost  undoubtedly  led  him  astray,  so  easy  is 
it  for  man  to  deceive  himself  by  seeing,  as  he  thinks,  what  he 
is  determined  to  see. 

(d).  The  Hairy  Woodpeckers  have  both  a  loud,  shrill  cry, 
not  unlike  that  of  the  "Flicker,"  and  a  sharp  chuck,  which  re- 
sembles the  characteristic  note  of  the  next  species.  Both  of 
these  notes,  however,  are  somewhat  peculiar,  and  need  not 
often  be  confused  with  those  of  other  species. 

(B)   PUBESCENS.     Downy  Woodpecker. 

(A  common  summer-resident  throughout  New  England,  but 
less  abundant  in  winter.) 

(a).  About  6£  inches  long.  Outer  tail-feathers  barred  with 
black.  Otherwise  like  P.  villosus  (A). 

(b).  The  nest  is  built  in  various  trees,  among  which  the 
apple-trees,  birches,  and  poplars,  are  frequently  selected.  It 
has  occasionally  been  found  in  a  post.  The  entrance  is  two 
inches  or  less  in  diameter,  whereas  that  of  the  "Flicker's" 
nest  is  usually  from  two  to  five  inches  high.  The  eggs,  of 
which  four  or  five  are  usually  laid  near  Boston  in  the  fourth 
week  of  May,  measure  -80  X  '60  of  an  ineh,  or  less. 

(c).  The  Downy  Woodpeckers,  like  Uieir  near  relations  the 
Hairy  Woodpeckers,  are  resident  throughout  the  wooded  por- 
tions of  eastern  North  America,  in  many  places  being  common 
and  well-known,  as  is  the  case  in  Massachusetts,  where,  how- 
ever, they  are  less  numerous  in  winter.  In  autumn  they  may 
be  seen  followed  by  titmice,  creepers,  nuthatches,  and  "wrens," 
whose  society  they  seem  to  enjoy,  though  not  themselves  gre- 
garious. They  are  not  only  sociable,  but  are  very  familiar 
towards  man,  showing  no  alarm  at  his  approach,  and  preferring 
orchards,  roadsides,  and  woods  about  houses  or  barns,  to  the 
forests,. for  which  many  of  their  relations  have  a  marked  fond- 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  323 

ness.    Except  on  these  points,  they  are  fair  t}*pes  of  their  whole 
family. 

They  are  only  partially  migratory,  and  are  often  resident  in 
one  locality  throughout  the  year.  They  are  usually  mated  for 
life,  and  on  this  account  are  frequently  seen  in  pairs  instead  of 
singly.  They  are  active  or  even  restless.  They  sometimes 
eat  berries,  or  catch  insects  on  the  wing,  but  I  have  never  seen 
them  on  the  ground.  They  generally  pass  the  day  in  moving 
from  tree  to  tree,  from  which  they  obtain  insects,  their  larvae 
and  eggs,  in  the  bark  or  beneath  it.  They  fly  in  undulations, 
rarely  far  or  high,  and  alight  with  both  feet,  on  the  trunk  or 
larger  limbs.  They  hop  about  with  great  ease,  but  generally 
move  with  the  head  pointing  upward.  Sometimes  they  merely 
pick  up  their  food  from  the  crannies  of  the  bark,  but  at  other 
times  they  extract  wood-borers  and  other  insects  from  the 
wood.  For  this,  purpose  they  dig  out  small  circular  holes  of 
about  the  size  made  by  a  large  awl,  and  with  these  often  en- 
circle even  a  large  tree.  In  forming  these  holes,  which  are 
healthful  to  the  trees  and  not  injurious,  they  draw  back  their 
muscular  head,  and  deliver  their  blows  so  rapidly  as  to  produce 
a  tremulous  sound  or  rattling,  which  I  find  it  impossible  to 
imitate  even  by  drumming  with  all  my  fingers  on  a  board. 
They  seize  their  prey  by  thrusting  out  their  long  tongue,  which 
is  coated  with  a  sticky  fluid.  They  work  at  their  nest  for  about  a 
month,  chiefly  in  the  early  morning  and  in  the  afternoon.  The 
male  and  female  incnbate  alternately,  and  exhibit  much  alarm, 
if  intruded  upon  after  their  young  are  hatched.  They  often 
fly  above  the  heads  of  the  men  or  dogs  who  may  intrude,  con- 
stantly uttering  their  loud  note  of  alarm,  and  more  often 
perching  crosswise  than  at  other  times.  They  occupy  their 
old  nests  or  other  cavities  as  retreats  for  the  night  or  from 
very  severe  weather.  They  are  very  hardy,  but  not  un fre- 
quently in  winter,  during  a  blinding  snow-storm  or  a  pelting 
rain,  they  may  be  started  from  some  decayed  tree,  on  shaking 
it,  or  rapping  it  with  one's  cane.  Should  they  pass  the  winter 
to  the  southward  and  return  in  the  spring,  they  immediately 
resort  to  their  former  lodgings,  unless  some  rude  blast  has 


324  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

destroyed  these,  in  which  case  I  have  known  them  hurriedly  to 
make  an  excavation  in  a  neighboring  stump. 

(d).  Their  ordinary  note  is  a  chink  or  chick,  which  they  most 
often  utter  on  alighting  on  some  tree  or  fence.  Occasionally 
they  repeat  this  rapidly  (as  chick-a-chick-chick-chick-chick). 
These  notes,  unless  uttered  in  anger,  seem  indicative  of  the 
little  woodpecker's  contented  disposition  and  constant  happi- 
ness. 

VI.   HYLOTOMUS 

(A)  PILEATUS.  Pileated  Woodpecker.  Black  "  Log-cock." 
"  Wood-cock." 

(In  New  England,  almost  entirely  confined  to  the  "  timbered" 
districts  of  the  North.) 

(a).  About  eighteen  inches  long.  Nearly  black;  a  slight 
superciliary  line,  a  broad  stripe  from  the  bill  to  the  sides,  wing- 
patch,  etc.,  white.  Crest,  scarlet ;  in  9  ,  black  in  front.  <£ , 
with  a  scarlet  cheek-patch. 

(6).  "The  eggs,  which  are  six  in  number,  average  1*25  X 
1-00  of  an  inch,  or  more."  See  I,  A,  b. 

(c).  The  Pileated  Woodpeckers  are  in  New  England  the 
largest,  most  spirited,  and  wildest  of  their  tribe,  but  to  the 
southward  they  yield  to  the  larger  "  Ivory-bill,"  and  in  Central 
America  to  the  magnificent  Campephilus  imperialis.  They  live 
exclusively  in  heavily  timbered  countr}r,  where  they  frequent 
the  forests  undisturbed  by  man,  and  the  backwoods.  There, 
solitarily  or  in  pairs,  they  remain  throughout  the  year,  unless 
tempted  by  grain  to  wander  to  the  fields.  They  are  said  to 
withstand  alike  the  cold  of  Labrador  and  the  heat  of  Florida, 
but  in  southern  New  England  they  are  no  longer  found,  though 
not  rare  in  some  parts  of  the  White  Mountains,  and  in  like  lati- 
tudes. They  are  rather  shy,  but  they  may  sometimes  be  seen 
dexterously  stripping  off  in  large  sheets  the  bark  of  decayed 
trees  and  logs,  in  order  to  lay  bare  the  remains  beneath.  "  If 
wounded  on  a  tree,  they  cling  desperately  ;  if  shot  while  flying, 
they  defend  themselves  with  courage,  often  inflicting  severe 
wounds  with  their  powerful  bills."  They  fly  in  undulations, 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  325 

but  rather  laboriously,  owing  perhaps  to  their  great  size.  They 
are  probably  the  only  members  of  their  family  in  New  Eng- 
land, whom  the  hawks  never  attack.  One  of  our  common 
woodpeckers  may  sometimes  be  seen  adroitly  dodging  around 
some  limb,  while  a  disappointed  hawk  vainly  endeavors  to 
seize  him.  But  should  there  be  a  pair  of  his  enemies,  he  does 
not  always  escape,  unless  he  can  take  refuge  in  a  hole. 

(d).  The  Log-cocks,  besides  the  loud  rolling  sound  of  their 
hammering  (audible  for  even  a  mile),  often  produce  a  loud 
cackling,  not  wholly  unlike  that  of  a  hen.  Hence,  a  country- 
man, asked  by  a  sportsman  if  there  were  woodcock  in  a  cer- 
tain place,  answered  that  he  often  heard  "  them  hollering  in 
the  woods ! " 


326  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 


CHAPTER  III. 
FOURTH  ORDER.    RAPTORES. 

THE  birds  of  prey  constitute  this  well-defined  order.  Their 
bill,  like  that  of  the  parrots,  is  stout  (about  as  deep  as  long), 
and  strongly  hooked  ;  it  is  likewise  furnished  with  a  true  cere, 
often  concealed  by  feathers,  which  contains  the  nostrils.  The 
toes,  however,  are  not  arranged  in  pairs,  but  on  the  general 
plan  of  three  in  front  and  one  behind ;  the  feet  are  highly 
muscular,  and  furnished  with  sharp,  fully  developed  claws, 
called  "  talons."  These  are  the  principal  external  features. 

The  birds  of  prey  are  noted  for  the  strength,  rapidity,  grace, 
or  ease,  of  their  flight,  and  in  many  cases,  for  their  extraordi- 
nary power  of  sailing.  With  the  exception  of  the  vultures, 
they  are  famous  for  their  spirit,  variously  clispla3Ted  in  energy, 
boldness,  or  courage,  and  for  their  carnivorous  taste.  For  the 
most  part,  they  feed  upon  smaller  birds,  quadrupeds,  snakes, 
fish,  or  even  insects,  which  ihey  capture  for  themselves.  They 
are  hardy,  being  furnished  with  thick  feathering,  and  an  en- 
casement of  fat,  which  enables  them  to  withstand  the  cold, 
and  to  live  without  food  much  longer  than  human  beings  can. 
They  are  to  a  large  extent  non-migratory,  and  those  that  mi- 
grate probably  do  so  in  a  great  measure  to  follow  the  migra- 
tions of  their  prey  rather  than  to  avoid  the  winter-weather  in 
their  summer-homes.  They  have  been  known  to  travel  in  large 
flocks,  and  the  Fish  Hawks  are  said  to  build  their  nests  often 
in  communities,  but  as  a  rule  they  are  eminently  unsocial, 
though  faithful  to  their  chosen  haunts.  The  vultures  are  gre- 
garious, cowardly,  voracious,  but  rather  slothful,  and  feed 
chiefly  on  carrion,  which  they  frequently  disgorge,  when  dis- 
turbed ;  whereas  both  the  hawks,  and  the  owls  especially,  eject 
in  pellets  only  what  is  indigestible.  Their  only  notes  are  said 
to  be  hisses  or  grunts.  The  hawks,  on  the  other  hand,  possess 
various  screams  or  whining  whistles,  while  the  owls  are  famous 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  327 

for  their  ludicrous  or  doleful  cries,  and  for  their  hooting,  so 
ill-boding  to  the  superstitious. 

§  26.  There  are  many  things  which  cannot  be  defined  except 
in  their  typical  states,  and,  in  the  classification  of  birds,  the 
typical  species  often  characterize  a  group  by  certain  features, 
which  evidently  allied  species  may  possess  only  in  part. 
Thus  the  owls  may  be  defined  as  "  nocturnal  birds  of  pre}T," 
though  some  kinds  hunt  in  daylight  like  the  hawks.  All  our 
Strigidce,  however,  possess  the  following  structural  features 
(besides  those  which  characterize  all  Raptores)  :  head  large, 
and  capable  of  being  turned  in  every  direction  without  any 
movement  of  the  body  ;  e3res  looking  more  or  less  directly 
forward  ;  ear-feathers  often  forming  noticeable  tufts  or  "horns  ;" 
nostrils  concealed  ;  tarsi  feathered  ;  general  plumage  very  soft 
and  thick.  The  colors  are  sober  and  much  variegated,  but  alike 
in  both  sexes.  The  female  is  generally  larger  than  the  male. 

The  owls  fly  silently.  Richard  Hill,  Esq.,  in  Gosse's  "Birds 
of  Jamaica,"  says :  "  They  search  for  their  pre}T,  as  if  they 
were  pursuing  it  with  the  vigilance  of  the  hound.  They  skiin 
along  the  surface  of  the  earth,*  glide  among  trees,  explore  ave- 
nues, sweep  round,  rise  and  fall,  wheel  short,  and  dart  down, 
but  never  sail  in  circles.  Their  wide  staring  eyes  are  placed 
in  what  may  be  called  their  face,  being  right  forward  in  front, 
and  have  scarcely  any  field  of  vision  laterally.  They  there- 
fore hunt  with  a  forward  and  downward  gaze,  like  dogs  over  a 
field.  The  globe  of  the  eye  of  these  nocturnal  raptores,  being 
immovably  fixed  in  the  socket  by  a  strong  elastic  cartilaginous 
case,  in  the  form  of  a  truncated  cone,  they  have  to  turn  their 
heads  to  view  objects  out  of  the  path  of  flight,  and  their  neck 
is  so  adapted  for  this  exertion,  that  they  can  with  ease  turn 
round  the  head  in  almost  a  complete  circle,  withont  moving  the 
body." 

Some  owls  lay  their  eggs  on  the  ground  or  in  the  hollows  of 
trees,  but  most  kinds  build  a  rude  nest  of  sticks,  or  select  an 
old  nest  of  a  like  nature.  Their  eggs  are  3-6,  subspherical, 
white  or  whitish,  and  usually  without  a  very  smooth  shell. 
Their  peculiar  notes,  or  hootings,  are  elsewhere  noticed. 


328  LAND-BIRDS    AKD    GAME-BIRDS 


I.   STRIX 

(A)  FLAMMEA  (var.  PRATINCOLA).     (American)  Earn  Owl. 

(This  bird  has  not  recently  occurred  in  Massachusetts  more 
than 'once  or  twice.) 

(a).  "Tawny,  or  fulvous-brown,  delicately  clouded  or  mar- 
bled with  ashy  and  white,  and  speckled  with  brownish-black ; 
below,  a  varying  shade  from  nearly  pure  white  to  fulvous,  with 
sparse  sharp  blackish  speckling ;  face,  white  to  purplish-brown, 
darker  or  black  about  the  e}'es,  the  disk  bordered  with  dark 
brown  ;  wings  and  tail  barred  with  brown,  and  finely  mottled 
like  the  back;  bill  whitish;  toes  3*ellowish.  *  *  *  *  9  17 
long;  wing  13;  tail  5£ ;  <£  rather  less.  U.  S.,  Atlantic  to 
Pacific,  southerly  ;  rare  in  the  interior,  rarely  N.  to  New  Eng- 
land." (Coues.) 

(b).  "It  is  not  uncommon  in  the  vicinity  of  Washington, 
and  after  the  partial  destruction  of  the  Smithsonian  Building 
by  fire,  for  one  or  two  }Tears  a  pair  nested  on  the  top  of  the 
tower."  "  Its  nests  have  been  found  in  hollow  trees  near 
marshy  meadows"  (Brewer),  and,  in  certain  parts  of  the 
country,  the  Barn  Owls  make  burrows.  The  eggs  average 
1-70  X  1*30  of  an  inch,  and  are  bluish  or  dirty  (yellowish) 
white. 

(c).  The  Barn  Owls  of  America  are  much  less  well  known 
than  those  of  Europe,  and  no  longer  occur  in  New  England,  if, 
indeed,  they  ever  have  existed  there  except  as  stragglers.  Mr. 
Allen,  in  his  "  Notes  on  Some  of  the  Rarer  Birds  of  Massa- 
chusetts," records  the  capture  of  one  in  this  State,  near  Spring- 
field, in  May,  and  that  of  two  others  in  Connecticut.  The 
Barn  Owls  are  common  in  many  places  to  the  southward  and 
westward.  Says  Dr.  Brewer :  "  The  propensity  of  the  Cali- 
fornia bird  to  drink  the  sacred  oil  of  the  consecrated  lamps 
about  the  altars  of  the  Missions  was  frequently  referred  to  by 
the  priests,  whenever  any  allusion  was  made  to  this  Owl." 

Audubon  says  that  "  this  species  is  altogether  nocturnal  or 
crepuscular,  and  when  disturbed  during  the  day,  flies  in  an  ir- 
regular bewildered  manner,  as  if  at  loss  how  to  look  for  a 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  329 

place  for  refuge.  After  long  observation,  I  am  satisfied  that 
our  bird  feeds  entirely  on  the  smaller  species  of  quadrupeds, 
for  I  have  never  found  any  portions  of  birds  about  their  nests, 
nor  even  the  remains  of  a  single  feather  in  the  pellets  which 
they  Regurgitate,  and  which  are  alwa}Ts  formed  of  the  bones 
and  hair  of  quadrupeds." 

(d).  I  can  find  no  description  of  any  note  belonging  to  this 
species. 

II.   OTUS 

(A)   VULGARIS  (var.  WILSONIANUS).     Long-eared  Owl. 

(In  Massachusetts,  a  resident  throughout  the  year.) 

(a).  About  fifteen  inches  long.  Ear-tufts  conspicuous. 
General  colors,  fulvous  and  dark  brown  or  blackish.  Above, 
finely  variegated,  and  mixed  with  whitish.  Breast,  etc., 
streaked,  and  also  barred  below.  Tail  (like  the  primaries,  etc.) 
mottled  and  barred.  Eyes  partly  encircled  by  black. 

(b).  The  nest  is  most  often  that  of  a  crow  or  hawk,  slightly 
repaired.  Sometimes,  however,  it  is  a  fresh  one,  built  by  the 
birds  themselves  in  some  dark  wood  of  evergreen,  from  ten  to 
fifty  feet  above  the  ground  ("on  which,"  by  the  way,  "  the 
eggs  are  occasionally  laid").  The  eggs  are  pure  white,  as  are 
those  of  most  owls,  and  average  about  1-60  X  1*35  of  an  inch. 
In  Massachusetts,  one  set,  varying  in  number  from  three  to 
six,  is  laid  about  the  middle  of  April. 

(c).  The  Long-eared  Owls  are  perhaps  the  most  numerous 
of  American  owls,  and  are  common  near  Boston,  where  they 
remain  throughout  the  3rear.  In  spite  of  their  comparative 
abundance,  they  are  rarely  seen,  since  they  frequent  the  woods 
by  day,  and  only  fly  abroad  at  night,  unless,  as  often  happens, 
they  are  driven  out  and  rabbled  by  the  Crows.  They  are  easily 
approached  in  a  strong  light,  as  their  vision  is  dependent  upon 
darkness,  but  they  usually  roost  in  thick  swamps,  or  dark  and 
unfrequented  woods  of  evergreen.  At  dusk  they  become  active, 
and  silently  hunt  for  their  prey,  sometimes  flying  over  fields 
and  meadows,  and  sometimes  perching  to  watch  for  it,  with 
their  keen  eyes.  Their  hearing  being  no  less  acute  than 


330  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

their  sight,  the  slightest  movement  of  any  unfortunate  mouse 
near  them  attracts  their  attention,  and,  sailing  down  from  their 
post,  they  pounce  upon  their  victim.  They  feed  upon  small 
birds  and  quadrupeds,  or  even  large  insects.  They  are  unso- 
cial, and  generally  lead  a  solitary  life,  though  Wilson  speaks 
of  seven  being  found  in  one  tree. 

(d).  I  have  riever  heard  them  utter  any  notes,  and  they  are 
probably  silent  except  during  the  season  of  love.  Audubon, 
however,  says :  "  When  encamped  in  the  woods,  I  have  fre- 
quently heard  the  notes  of  this  bird  at  night.  Its  cry  is  pro- 
longed and  plaintive,  though  consisting  of  not  more  than  two 
or  three  notes  repeated  at  intervals." 

(B)   BRACHYOTUS.     Short-eared  Owl.     Marsh  Owl. 

(A  resident  of  Massachusetts,  most  abundant  near  the  sea.) 

(a).  About  fifteen  inches  long.  Ear-tufts  inconspicuous. 
General  colors,  dark  brown,  and  fulvous  whitening  beneath 
(on  the  belly,  wings,  etc.).  Chiefly  streaked,  but  on  the  tail, 
primaries,  etc.,  barred  (and  slightly  mottled).  Eyes  completely 
encircled  by  black. 

.  (6).  The  nest  is  a  rather  slovenly  structure,  built  on  the 
ground,  most  often  in  rather  wet  places.  The  eggs  of  each  set 
•are  usually  four,  averaging  about  1-50X1*30  of  an  inch.  They 
are  white,  and  somewhat  spherical.  Several,  taken  from  two 
nests  not  far  from  Boston,  had  apparently  been  laid  about  the 
middle  of  April. 

(c).  The  Short-eared  Owls  are  much  less  common  than  some 
other  species,  though  resident  in  Massachusetts  throughout  the 
year.  They  are  generally  considered  more  abundant  near  the 
seashore  than  elsewhere,  and  even  resort  to  marshes.  They 
usually  rest  during  the  day  on  the  ground  or  near  it,  and, 
when  flushed,  fly  as  if  dazed,  and  soon  alight.  I  have  seen 
them  abroad,  however,  on  cloudy  da}rs.  They  sometimes  occur 
in  woods,  particular^  such  as  are  swampy,  but,  in  hunting, 
they  more  often  fly  over  meadows  or  fields,  moving  their 
wings  silently,  and  often  sailing  directly  forward  for  a  consid- 
erable distance.  They  also  perch  to  watch  for  their  prey,  which 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  331 

seems  to  consist  chiefly  of  mice  and  insects.  Occasionally, 
when  startled  on  the  ground,  they  move  off  in  leaps,  more 
quickly  than  one  might  suppose  them  to  be  capable  of  doing, 
but  they  commonly  take  to  wing.  Audubon  speaks  of  them 
as  common  in  the  Floridas  during  the  winter,  and  sa}*s  :  "  In- 
deed I  was  surprised  to  see  the  great  number  of  these  birds 
which  at  that  period  were  to  be  found  in  the  open  prairies  of 
that  country,  rising  from  the  tall  grass  in  a  hurried  manner, 
and  zig-zagging  for  a  few  yards,  as  if  suddenly  wakened  from 
sound  sleep,  then  sailing  to  some  distance  in  a  direct  course, 
and  dropping  among  the  thickest  herbage."  He  adds :  "I 
never  started  two  birds  at  once,  but  alwa3*s  found  them  singly 
at  distances  of  from  twenty  to  a  hundred  yards.;  *  *  *  ." 
The  Short-eared  Owls  are  partially  migratory. 

(d).  Their  notes,  if  they  have  any,  I  have  neither  heard, 
nor  seen  described. 

III.   SYRNIUM 

(A)    CINEKEUM.     Great  Gray  Owl.     Cinereous  Owl. 

(Very  rare  so  far  to  the  southward  as  Massachusetts,  where 
it  occurs  in  winter  onty.) 

(a).  Extreme  length,  thirty  inches.  General  colors,  cinere- 
ous or  ashy-brown,  and  a  paler  shade.  "Waved"  above; 
streaked  on  the  breast;  barred  on  the  belly,  tail,  primaries,  etc. 

(b).  One  egg  in  Dr.  Brewer's  cabinet  measures  2-25  X  1'78 
of  an  inch. 

(c).  The  Great  Gray  Owls  exceed  in  size  all  other  American 
species,  and  stand  no  less  than  two  feet  high.  They  seem, 
however,  to  be  much  less  spirited  than  many  others  of  their 
tribe.  Mr.  Dal  I  considers  them  very  stupid,  and  states  that 
they  may  in  daj'-time  be  caught  by  the  hand.  They  are  Arctic 
birds,  and  do  not  occur  in  New  England  except  as  very  rare 
winter-visitors.  I  observed  one  in  some  pine-woods  near  Mil- 
ton, in  the  early  part  of  1875,  towards  the  end  of  an  excep- 
tion ally 'severe  winter.  He  was  roosting  in  a  partially  dead 
tree,  at  about  thirty  feet  from  the  ground.  He  instantly  per- 
ceived my  approach,  and  watched  me  dreamily.  He  refused 


332  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

to  leave  his  perch  until  the  tree  was  rapped  violently,  upon 
which  he  started  with  a  few  silent  flaps  and  then  sailed  away. 
Owing  to  his  great  size,  and  his  wings  spread  to  their  full  ex- 
tent, he  presented  a  formidable  appearance.  He  did  not  seem 
to  experience  difficulty  in  finding  his  way  among  the  trees. 

The  Great  Gray  Owls,  according  to  Mr.  Ball's  observations, 
"  feed  principally  upon  small  birds,  and  he  took  no  less  than 
thirteen  crania  and  other  remains  of  ^Egiotlius  linaria  [or 
Lesser  Red-poll]  from  the  crop  of  a  single  bird." 

(d).  Their  notes  have  been  described  as  tremulous,  and  not 
unlike  those  of  the  Screech  Owl. 

(B)   NEBULOSUM.     Barred  Owl.     "Hoot  Owl" 
(A  resident  in  Massachusetts  throughout  the  year.) 
(a).   About   eighteen  inches  long.     General  colors,  brown 
(cinereous  above),  and  white  (or  tawny).     Chiefly  barred,  but 
on  the  belly  streaked.     Eyes,  small,  very  dark,  and  bordered  on 
the  inner  edge  with  black. 

(6).  Evidence  indicates  that  the  Barred  Owls  usual  ty  build 
their  own  nests,  choosing  for  a  site  some  crotch  next  to  the 
trunk  of  a  pine  or  oak.  The  nests  are  finished  in  the  latter 
part  of  April,  and  three  or  four  eggs  are  then.  laid.  These 
latter  are  white,  and  generally  measure  about  2-00X1*70  of  an 
inch. 

(c).  The  Barred  Owls  are  apparently  common  residents  in 
all  the  Atlantic  States,  but  near  Boston  they  have  probably 
decreased  in  numbers  proportionally  to  the  decrease  of  wood- 
land. They  may,  however,  not  unfrequently  be  seen  during 
the  day,  reposing  in  some  thick  wood  of  pines  or  hemlocks. 
On  such  an  occasion,  they  watch  your  motions  as  jrou  approach, 
and  should  you  walk  from  one  side  of  the  tree  to  the  other, 
they  follow  you  with  their  eyes,  turning  their  head  as  if  they 
must  infallibly  twist  it  off,  but  not  moving  the  body.  No  crea- 
ture through  solemnity  and  soberness  could  be  better  fitted  for 
the  office  of  judge,  and  I  am  sure  that  every  culprit  would 
quail  before  such  a  stern,  unvaried,  and  unceasing  gaze.  The 
effect  of  their  behavior  in  a  dark  wood,  is  not  unlike  that 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  333 

of  entering  a  darkened  chamber,  and  observing  the  eyes  of 
a  grim  ancestral  portrait,  as  they  everywhere  follow  one,  as 
if  to  shame  one  out  of  some  degeneracy.  It  is  often  diffi- 
cult to  start  these  owls,  but  sometimes,  if  your  back  is  turned, 
they  take  the  opportunity  to  glide  away  silently,  and  I  have 
observed  that  on  such  occasions  they  do  not  seern  to  be  milch 
embarrassed  by  the  light.  They  hunt  at  night,  and  are  said  to 
feed  upon  small  birds,  mice,  snakes,  frogs,  and  also  larger 
game.  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  the  males  and  females 
live  apart  except  in  the  early  spring-season,  when  their  hoot- 
ings  are  heard,  even  during  the  day. 

(d).  Their  hootings  are  guttural,  and  rather  startling, 
though  ludicrous.  Audubon  thought  that  they  might  be  com- 
pared to  an  affected  burst  of  laughter.  It  has  been  asserted 
that  the  voice  of  the  male  is  much  weaker  than  that  of  his 
mate,  as  well  as  much  less  often  heard. 

IV.   NYCTALE 

(A)  TENGMALMT  (var.  RICHARDSON!).  American  (Sparrow) 
Old.  Richardson's  Owl. 

(In  Massachusetts,  extremely  rare.) 

(a).  About  10  J  inches  long.  Except  in  size,  essentially 
like  N.  Acadica  (B). 

(/>).  Dr.  Brewer  describes  one  egg  as  measuring  1-28  XI '06 
of  an  inch. 

(c).  The  American  Sparrow  Owl  is  another  species,  whose 
occurrence  in  Massachusetts,  even  as  a  winter-visitor,  is  quite 
accidental,  and  about  \vhose  habits  not  much  is  apparently 
known  by  modern  ornithologists.  I  have  never  seen  one  alive, 
and  I  shall  therefore  quote  the  brief  biography  of  Audubon, 
who  in  his  turn  is  obliged  to  quote  from  Richardson. 

"  I  procured  a  fine  male  of  this  species  at  Bangor,  in  Maine, 
on  the  Penobscot,  in  the  beginning  of  September,  1832  ;  but 
am  unacquainted  with  its  habits,  never  having  seen  another 
individual  alive.  Mr.  TOWNSEND  informs  me  that  he  found  it 
on  the  Malade  River  Mountains,  where  it  was  so  tame  and 
unsuspicious,  that  Mr.  NUTTALL  was  enabled  to  approach  within 


334  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

a  few  feet  of  it,  as  it  sat  upon  the  bushes.  Dr.  RICHARDSON 
gives  the  following  notice  respecting  it  in  the  Fauna  Boreali- 
Araericana : — '  When  it  actually  wanders  abroad  in  the  day,  it 
is  so  much  dazzled  by  the  light  of  the  sun  as  to  become  stupid, 
and  it  may  then  be  easily  caught  by  the  hand.  Its  cry  in  the 
night  is  a  single  melancholy  note,  repeated  at  intervals  of  a 
minute  or  two.  Mr.  HUTCHINS  informs  us  that  it  builds  a  nest 
of  grass  half  way  up  a  pine  tree,  and  lays  two  white  eggs  in 
the  month  of  May.  It  feeds  on  mice  and  beetles.  I  cannot 
state  the  extent  of  its  range,  but  believe  that  it  inhabits  all  the 
woody  country  from  Great  Slave  Lake  to  the  United  States. 
On  the  banks  of  the  Saskatchewan  it  is  so  common  that  its 
voice  is  heard  almost  every  night  by  the  traveller,  wherever  he 
selects  his  bivouac.' " 

(B)    ACADICA.     Acadian  Owl.     Saw-wliet  Owl. 

(In  Massachusetts,  not  common,  unless  in  autumn.) 

(a).  When  erect,  about  six  inches  high.  Above,  chocolate- 
brown  ;  head  streaked,  back  spotted,  and  tail  barred,  with 
white.  Beneath,  white,  streaked  (in  blotches)  with  reddish 
chocolate.  (Tarsal  feathers,  tawny.)  Eyes  encircled  by  black. 
Bill  black.  (In  A,  "  bill  yellow.") 

(b).  "  The  eggs  are  generally  laid  in  the  hole  of  a  tree,  and 
are  four  to  six  in  number."  An  egg,  which  was  found  in  a 
pine-wood  near  Boston,  about  the  first  of  May,  evidently  be- 
longed to  this  bird.  It  was  lying  on  the  ground  (not  far  from 
a  tree,  in  which  an  Acadian  Owl  had  previously  been  seen), 
and  to  it  was  attached  two  feathers,  which  correspond  exactly 
to  those  of  a  stuffed  "Saw-whet."  The  egg  was  cold,  and 
slightly  cracked.  It  has  a  remarkably  smooth,  white  shell, 
and  measures  about  1*00  X  '90  of  an  inch. 

(c).  The  little  Acadian  Owls  are  residents  throughout  New 
England,  but  near  Boston,  so  far  as  I  have  observed,  they  are 
very  rare  in  summer,  being  most  numerous  in  autumn.  They 
are  apparently  more  social  than  other  species,  as  "they  have 
been  known  to  occur  in  small  parties."  I  have,  however,  al- 
ways met  them  singly.  During  the  day,  they  remain  in  woods 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  335 

and  swamps,  often  ensconced  in  the  hole  of  a  tree,  though  they 
sometimes  perch  on  a  bough.  They  may  be  closely  approached 
on  a  bright  day,  and  do  not  fly  far  if  disturbed.  Immediately 
after  sunset,  however,  they  become  full  of  animation  and  cour- 
age, and  even  venture  into  open  lands.  One  would  suppose  it 
difficult  for  them  to  find  enough  food,  but  they  undoubtedly 
surprise  small  birds  at  roost,  easily  detect  the  slightest  move- 
ment of  any  small  quadruped  in  the  grass,  and  readily  pick  up 
such  insects  as  sing  through  the  night,  or  indeed  others.  They 
probably  do  not  often  feed  on  reptiles. 

((/).  Their  extraordinary  love-notes  are  doubly  deceptive, 
from  their  strong  resemblance  to  the  noise  of  a  saw-mill,  and 
from  the  ventriloquism  with  which  they  are  uttered.  I  have, 
however,  vainly  tried  to  produce  similar  sounds  through  vari- 
ous combinations  of  files  and  saws.  The  Saw -whet  Owls,  as 
they  are  called  on  account  of  these  notes,  have  also  a  single 
low  cry. 

V.   SCOPS 

(A)   ASIO.     Screech  Owl.     Mottled  Owl.    Red  Owl. 

(A  common  summer-resident,  but  here  rare,  or  absent,  in 
winter.) 

(«)•  Averaging  nine  inches  in  length.  Gray,  or  brownish- 
red,  paler  below  ;  variously  marked,  chiefly  with  black. 

(6).  The  eggs  are  laid  in  the  hollow  of  a  tree,  an  apple-tree 
being  frequently  selected,  in  which  are  often  placed  a  few  sim- 
ple materials,  such  as  leaves  or  dry  grass.  The  eggs,  of  which 
four  are  here  laid  about  the  middle  of  April,  average  1'35  X 
1*20  of  an  inch,  though  occasionally  specimens  measure  1*50 
X  1'30  of  an  inch.  They  are  white,  and  nearly  spherical. 
.  (r).  The  Screech  Owls  are  probably  the  most  well-known  of 
the  American  Owls,  owing  to  their  general  abundance  in  the 
United  States,  their  frequent  occurrence  near  the  haunts  of 
man,  and  their  peculiar  tremulous  notes.  During  the  day,  they 
rest  in  the  hollow  of  a  tree,  a  thick  evergreen,  or  even  the  hay- 
loft of  a  barn,  but  from  these  retreats  they  are  sometimes 
driven  by  impertinent  Jays  and  other  tormentors.  They  seem 


336  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

dazed  by  the  light,  and  sometimes,  when  perched  on  a  fence  in 
the  sunlight,  as  occasionally  happens,  they  may  easily  be  ap- 
proached and  even  captured.  At  dusk  they  become  active, 
often  uttering  their  cries,  which  may  be  heard  at  all  hours  of 
the  night  until  early  morning,  though  never,  so  far  as  I  know, 
in  the  day.  They  search  the  woods,  fields,  meadows,  and  often 
the  neighborhood  of  houses  and  barns,  now  gliding  like  a 
shadow  near  the  ground,  or  among  the  trees,  and  now  perching 
to  call  to  their  mates  or  companions.  They  feed  upon  mice, 
various  insects  (many  of  which  they  catch  upon  the  wing), 
and  occasionally  small  birds.  They  are  probably  beneficial  to 
the  farmer,  like  some  other  owls,  who  differ  in  this  respect  from 
the  hawks.  Our  night-owls,  though  aided  by  very  keen  sight, 
and  by  a  flight  so  silent  that  their  presence  is  often  indicated 
only  by  their  shadow,  undoubtedly  find  it  more  difficult  to 
obtain  birds  at  roost  than  other  creatures  who  betray  them- 
selves by  moving.  The  Screech  Owls  as  pets  exhibit  many  of 
those  traits,  more  or  less  characteristic  of  their  whole  family, 
which  are  less  easily  observed  in  the  birds  at  liberty.  I  shall 
therefore  quote  from  the  "American  Naturalist"  an  extremely 
interesting  article  b}^  Mr.  Maynard,  on  "  The  Mottled  Owl  in 
Confinement,"  from  which,  however,  I  am  reluctantly  obliged 
to  omit  several  passages.  He  says  :  "  On  June  15,  1867,  I  ob- 
served some  boys  around  a  small  owl  which  was  perched  on  a 
stick.  On  closer  examination  I  found  that  it  was  a  young 
Mottled  Owl  (Scops  asio  Bonaparte).  It  was  staring  about  in 
a  dazed  manner  and  seemed  half  stupefied.  I  easily  persuaded 
the  boys  to  part  with  it  for  a  trifle,  and  took  it  home.  I  should 
judge  that  it  was  about  two  weeks  old.1  It  was  covered  with 
a  grayish  down.  I  put  it  in  a  large  cage,  and  gave  it  some 
meat  which  it  ate,  but  not  readily,  for  it  seemed  frightened  a,t 
the  sight  of  my  hand,  and  at  my  near  approach  would  draw 
back,  snapping  its  beak  after  the  manner  of  all  owls.  It  soon 
grew  tamer,  however,  and  would  regard  me  with  a  wise  stare, 
as  if  perfectly  understanding  that  I  was  a  friend. 

lThis  facb  renders  it  probable  that  this  species  sometimes  rears  a  second  brood. 


OF   NEW    ENGLAND.  337 

"  In  a  short  time  it  would  take  food  from  me  without  fear ; 
I  never  saw  it  drink,  although  water  was  kept  constant!}'  near 
it.  Its  food  consisted  of  mice,  birds,  and  butchers'  meat,  on 
which  it  fed  readily.  I  kept  the  bird  caged  for  about  two 
weeks,  during  which  time  it  became  quite  tame,  but  would  not 
tolerate  handling,  always  threatening  me  with  its  beak  when 
my  hands  approached  it.  As  the  wires  of  its  cage  broke  its 
feathers  when  moving  about,  and  as  it  hardly  seemed  resigned 
to  confinement,  I  opened  its  cage  and  gave  it  the  freedom  of 
the  room,  leaving  the  windows  open  night  and  day.  About 
this  time  I  gave  it  the  name  of  4  Scops,'  to  which  in  a  little 
while  it  would  answer,  when  called,  with  a  low  rattle,  which 
sounded  like  the  distant  note  of  the  kingfisher. 

*#**##* 

"When  a  bird  is  given  it  for  food,  it  takes  it  in  its  claws, 
and  with  its  beak  invariably  pulls  out  the  wing  and  tail  feath- 
ers first,  then  eats  the  head,  then  devours  the  intestines  ;  then, 
if  not  satisfied,  it  eats  the  remainder  of  the  bird,  feathers  and 
all. 

"  That  this  owl  sees  tolerably  well  in  the  daytime  I  have  proved 
to  my  satisfaction.  I  caught  a  mouse  and  put  it  alive  into  an 
open  box  about  two  feet  square.  This  I  placed  upon  a  bench 
near  Scops,  who  was  attentively  watching  my  movements ;  the 
moment  it  saw  the  mouse,  the  owl  opened  its  eyes  wide,  bent 
forward,  moved  its  head  from  side  to  side,  then  came  down 
with  an  unerring  aim,  burying  its  talons  deep  in  the  head  and 
back  of  the  mouse.  Looking  up  into  my  face,  and  uttering  its 
rattling  note,  as  if  inquiring,  'Isn't  that  well  done?'  it  flew 
up  to  its  perch  with  its  struggling  prey  grasped  firmly  in  its 
talons,  where  it  killed  the  mouse  by  biting  it  in  the  head  and 
back.  During  the  whole  act  it  displayed  considerable  energy 
and  excitement. 

*  *  *  *  *  *  * 

"Scops  will,  in  taking  birds  from  my  hand,  almost  always 

look  up  in  my  face  and  utter  its  subdued  rattle.     In  sleeping, 

it  usually  stands  on  one  foot,  both  eyes  shut,  but  sometimes 

stretches  out  at  full  length,  resting  on  its  breast.    When  sound 

23 


338  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

asleep  it  awakes  instantly  on  its  name  being  pronounced,  and 
will  answer  as  quickly  as  when  awake.  I  have  heard  it  utter 
its  peculiar  quavering  note  on  one  or  two  occasions,  which, 
notwithstanding  its  reputed  mournful  ness,  has  much  that 
sounds  pleasant  to  my  ears.  When  moving  along  a  plane  sur- 
face, Scops  progresses,  with  a  half  walk,  half  hop,  which  is 
certainly  not  the  most  graceful  gait  possible. 

"  When  out  at  night  among  the  trees  Scops  acts  in  much 
the  same  manner  as  when  in  the  house,  hopping  from  limb  to 
limb,  looking  about  with  a  quick,  graceful  motion  of  the  head, 
sometimes  turning  the  head  around  so  that  the  face  comes  di- 
rectly behind. 

"When  it  returns  to  the  house  in  the  morning,  daylight  is 
often  long  passed,  and  even  sunrise.  The  alarm  note  is  a  kind 
of  low  moan ;  this  was  often  uttered  at  the  sight  of  a  tamed 
gray  squirrel  (but  with  which  it  has  now  become  better  ac- 
quainted), and  alwa3rs  at  the  sight  of  its  old  enem}r,  the  dog. 

u  While  flying,  Scops  moves  through  the  air  with  a  quick, 
stead}'  motion,  alighting  on  any  object  without  missing  a  foot- 
hold. I  never  heard  it  utter  a  note  when  thus  moving.  When 
perching,  it  does  not  grasp  with  its  claws,  but  holds  them  at 
some  distance  from  the  wood,  clasping  with  the  soles  of  the 
toes.  When  it  has  eaten  enough  of  a  bird,  it  hides  the  re- 
maining portions  in  any  convenient  place  near  by.  *  *  ' 

"Sometimes  in  the  daytime  it  will  take  a  sudden  start,  flit- 
ting about  the  room  like  a  spectre,  alighting  on  different  ob- 
jects to  peer  about,  which  it  does  by  moving  sideways,  turning 
the  head  in  various  directions,  and  going  through  many  curious 
movements ;  but  it  always  returns  to  its  perch  and  settles 
down  quietty.1 

"  I  once  placed  a  stuffed  owl  of  its  own  species  near  it, 
when  it  ruffled  its  feathers,  gave  a  series  of  hisses,  moans,  and 
snappings  of  the  beak,  and  stretched  out  one  wing  at  full 
length  in  front  of  its  head  as  a  shield  to  repulse  what  it  took 
to  be  a  stranger  invading  its  own  domains.  As  the  stuffed 
bird  was  pushed  nearer,  Scops  budged  not  an  inch,  but  looked 
fiercer  than  ever;  its  .ruffled  back- feathers  were  erected  high, 
its  eyes  sparkled,  and  its  whole  attitude  was  one  of  war. 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  339 

"  Some  time  since  the  building  in  which  my  pet  was  kept 
was  torn  down,  and  the  bird  was  absent  for  two  weeks  ;  but  a 
new  building  has  been  erected  near  the  site  of  the  old  one,  and 
to-day  I  found  Scops  in  the  new  cellar,  sitting  on  a  projecting 
stone  of  the -wall,  as  much  at  home  as  in  the  old  place.  From 
this  it  can  be  seen  that  its  affection  for  locality  is  very  strong. 
Notwithstanding  Scops'  long  absence  it  is  as  tame  as  ever, 
taking  its  food  from  my  hand,  and  behaving  in  the  old  man- 
ner. *  *  *" 

(d).  The  ordinary  note  of  the  Screech  Owl  is  a  tremulous, 
continued  hooting,  repeated  at  short  intervals.  Wilson  has 
likened  this  to  the  "  shivering  meanings  of  a  half  frozen 
puppy  ;"  it  resembles  somewhat  the  distant  baying  of  a  fox- 
hound, though  not  so  deep.  In  spring,  it  is  varied  to  what  is 
more  like  an  unearthly  laugh,  and  it  is  not  surprising  that  by 
the  superstitious  this  cry  should  be  considered  ill-boding;  yet 
there  is  almost  a  fascination  in  listening  to  it. 

VI.   BUBO 

(A)    VIKGINIANUS.     Great  Horned  Owl. 

(In  Massachusetts,  a  resident  throughout  the  j'ear.) 

(d).  Extreme  length,  twenty-seven  inches.  Plumage  vari- 
able- ;  but  large  ear-tufts  and  white  throat-patch  constant.  A 
fine  specimen  before  me  is  marked  with  dark  brown,  whitish, 
and  tawny.  Above,  finely  variegated  ;  tail,  primaries,  etc., 
distinctly  barred.  Beneath,  more  or  less  finely  barred  ;  under 
tail-coverts,  pale,  with  a  few  waves  of  dark  brown. 

(b).  The  Great  Horned  Owls  are  said  to  sometimes  lay  their 
eggs  in  the  hollowr  of  a  tree,  or  even  in  the  fissure  of  a  rock. 
Usually,  however,  they  build  a  large  nest  of  sticks,  at  some 
height  above  the  ground,  next  to  the  trunk  of  a  pine  or  occa- 
sional ly  a  hemlock.  For  this  purpose,  they  choose  some  dark 
and  unfrequented 'wood,  where  in  March,  or  even  February, 
they  lay  their  eggs,  three  or  four  in  number.  These  measure 
2"2f)  X  1*90  of  an  inch,  or  more,  and  are  white,  or  sometimes 
yellowish. 

(c).   The  Great  Horned  Owls  are  the  most  spirited  and  de- 


340  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

strnctive  of  their  tribe  in  North  America,  in  many  parts  of 
which,  including  New  England,  they  are  not  uncommon.  They 
are  resident  in  Massachusetts  throughout  the  }*ear.  They 
frequent  the  thick  woods,  from  which  they  roam  at  night 
over  the  open  country,  and  pay  visits  to  the  farm-yard.  They 
usually  roost  among  some  clump  of  evergreens  during  the 
day,  and  occasionally  may  be  closely  approached  before  they 
take  to  flight.  But  on  cloudy  days,  they  see  well,  and,  ex- 
ceptionally, even  hunt  for  their  prey,  which  consists  of  rab- 
bits, squirrels,  skunks, .partridges,  poultry,  and  the  like.  They 
fly  with  great  strength  and  ease,  often  sailing,  even  in  circles, 
like  the  buzzards.  Apparently  they  inhabit  the  same  neighbor- 
hood throughout  the  year,  but  lead  a  solitaiy  life  during  the 
larger  part  of  it.  . 

Nothing  can  more  gratify  a  romantic  imagination  than 
musings  on  the  life  of  this  owl.  Imagine  the  scenes  which 
characterize  his  existence.  Fancy  him  perched  on  some  tree  : 
a  silent  watcher,  he  surveys  the  country  shrouded  in  darkness, 
or  fantastically  lit  by  the  moon,  listens  to  the  sighing  of  the 
breeze  through  the  pines,  and  marks  the  waving  of  the  nrys- 
terious  shadows ;  then,  spreading  his  wings,  he  sails  away  with 
the  silence  of  a  spirit,  ready  to  pounce  upon  his  unsuspecting 
prey,  and  alights  in  some  still  more  romantic  spot,  perhaps  by 
a  lonely  river  in  the  forest ;  now,  he  wanders  through  a  war 
of  elements  which  man  shrinks  from,  through  darkness,  cold, 
and  falling  snow,  or  goes  abroad  in  a  gloom  impenetrable 
except  to  him  and  his  fellow-wanderers,  in  furious  winds,  and 
in  down-pouring  rain ;  at  last,  he  pounces  upon  some  poor 
animal,  and,  tearing  him  piece-meal,  begins  his  nocturnal 
repast.  Next,  he  startles  some  traveler  by  his  unearthly  cries, 
perhaps  united  to  the  quavering  note  of  the  Loon. 

What  scenes  he  may  have  beheld,  an  unknown  witness  ;  what 
deeds  of  darkness  he  might  disclose.  But  all  this  he  en-joys. 
His  savageness  and  wildness  of  disposition  are  evident.  No 
other  word  than  "devilish"  can  describe  the  Great  Horned 
Owl  in  confinement.  Approach  him  in  some  corner,  remark 
his  unconquerable  spirit,  observe  his  glaring  eyes,  as  he  slowly 


OP   NEW   ENGLAND.  341 

opens  and  shuts  Ihem,  and  listen  to  his  hisses.  Approach  him 
with  a  light,  see  him  contract  the  pupils  of  his  ej'es,  and  then, 
as  3'ou  retreat,  expand  them  until  they  seem  like  glowing  orbs 
of  fire.  Approach  him  with  food,  and  observe  the  eager  fe- 
rocity with  which  he  swallows  it,  doing  so  at  a  single  gulp  when 
possible.  Approach  him  again,  attempt  to  soothe  him,  and 
you  cannot  hesitate  to  pronounce  him  an  irreclaimable  savage. 

(d).  His  cries  are  all  unearthly.  Sometimes  he  utters  a 
horrid  scream,  sometimes  notes  which  suggest  the  strangula- 
tion of  some  unhappy  person  in  the  woods,  and  at  other  times 
his  loud  hooting,  hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo.  Being,  it  4s  said,  attracted 
by  camp-fires,  like  other  species,  he  often  amuses  the  traveler 
with  these  agreeable  and  soothing  sounds.  In  short,  no  bird 
has  a  Character  less  pleasant  to  contemplate  than  the  Great 
Horned  Owl. 

In  the  space  left  by  a  change  in  the  text,  it  may  not  be 
amiss  to  give  an  amusing  instance  of  the  fictions  credited  by 
certain  old  writers.  Charlevoix,  says  Wilson,  wrote  that  cer- 
tain owls  caught  mice  for  their  winter's  store,  and,  confining 
them,  fattened  them  on  grain. 

VII.    NYCTEA 

(A)    NiVEA.2     (American)  Snowy  Owl. 

(In  Massachusetts,  not  uncommon  in  winter  near  the  sea.) 

(a).  About  two  feet  long.  Snowy  white;  more  or  less 
marked  with  brown  or  blackish. 

(b).  The  eggs  are  laid  on  the  ground  in  Arctic  countries. 
They  are  white,  and  nearly  or  quite  2^  inches  long. 

(c).  The  Snowy  Owls,  as  their  very  thick  and  white  plumage 
suggests,  are  Arctic  birds,  though  in  winter  they  wander  south- 
ward in  considerable  numbers,  being  then  more  common  in 
Massachusetts  than  any  other  species  of  this  family  with  so 
high  a  range.  It  is  said  that,  though  rare  in  the  interior,  they 
are  of  not  un frequent  occurrence  along  the  coast,  since  they 
feed  much  upon  fish,  which  they  often  catch  for  themselves. 

2  The  specific  name  has  recently  been  established  as  scandiaca  var.  arctica. 


342  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

They  have  several  times  been  captured  on  the  islands  of  Bos- 
ton Harbor,  and  I  am  quite  confident  of  having  seen  one  fly 
over  the  city.  They  may  also  be  met  with  further  inland, 
where  they  feed  upon  quadrupeds  and  birds.  They  hunt  chiefly 
during  the  day,  or  just  after  sunset,  and,  instead  of  pouncing 
upon  other  birds,  often  pursue  them  on  wing,  thus  resembling 
the  hawks.  As  they  feed  upon  grouse  (or  even,  it  is  said, 
upon  ducks  and  pigeons)  r  they  evidently  possess  great  speed  of 
flight.  Owing  to  their  size  and  handsome  plumage,  they  are 
striking  objects  in  winter-scenery,  though  often  rendered  in- 
conspicuous by  their  likeness  to  the  snow  and  ice.  Though 
spirited,  they  exhibit  much  less  ferocity  than  the  Great  Horned 
Owls,  and  are  said  to  be  more  tractable  as  pets. 

(d).  Wilson  says  of  this  species  that  "its  voice  is  so  dismal 
that,  as  Pennant  observes,  it  adds  horror  even  to  the  regions 
of  Greenland  by  its  hideous  cries,  resembling  those  of  a  man 
in  deep  distress."  The  same  author,  in  describing  the  method 
of  fishing  pursued  by  this  owl,  says:  "Unlike  most  of  his 
tribe  he  hunts  by  day  as  well  as  by  twilight,  and  is  particu- 
larly fond  of  frequenting  the  shores  and  banks  of  shallow 
rivers,  over  the  surface  of  which  he  slowly  sails,  or  sits  on  a 
rock  a  little  raised  above  the  water  watching  for  fish.  These 
he  seizes  with  a  sudden  and  instantaneous  stroke  of  the  foot, 
seldom  missing  his  aim." 

VIII.   SURNIA 

(A)  ULULA  (var.  HUDSONIA).  (American)  Hawk  Owl.  Day 
Owl 

(A  winter-visitant  to  Massachusetts  of  rare  occurrence.) 

(a).  About  sixteen  inches  long.  General  colors,  dark  brown 
and  white,  the  former  predominating  above.  Wings,  tail,  and 
under  parts  barred,  but  throat  streaked.  Face  partly  bordered 
by  black,  and  narrowy  approaching  the  hawk-t}-pe. 

(b).  "The  nest  is  built  in  trees.  The  eggs,  six  in  number, 
are  white,  and  average  about  1*50  X  1  25  of  an  inch." 

(c).  No  other  families  of  birds  present  such  difficulties  to 
the  naturalist  and  biographer  as  the  hawks  and  owls.  Their 


OF    NEW    ENGLAND.  O4J 

general  scarcity  and  shyness,  their  life  of  solitude  and  retire- 
ment, their  frequent  residence  in  inaccessible  or  little  frequented 
places,  and  their  silence  during  the  greater  part  of  the  year, 
render  it  difficult  to  become  intimate  with  their  habits  or,  in 
some  cases,  with  their  notes.  Such  is  eminently  the  case  with 
the  Iliiwk  Owl,  of  whom  apparently  no  adequate  biography  has 
yet  been  written.  I  have  seen  it  but  once,  and  can  add  little 
or  nothing  to  former  accounts.  These  birds,  like  several  other 
species,  inhabit  the  Arctic  regions,  not  only  of  America,  but 
also  of  the  Old  World.  They  very  rarely  visit  Massachusetts, 
though  "  not  uncommon  in  northern  New  England  in  autumn 
or  winter"  and  said  to  have  even  bred  in  Maine.  They  are 
noted,  not  only  for  their  physiognomy,  which  corresponds  to 
their  mode  of  life,  but  for  their  habit  of  hunting  during  the 
clay  like  a  hawk.  It  is  probable,  however,  that  they  see  well 
at  night,  as  the  one  which  I  observed  was  active  at  dusk.  His 
flight  was  much  like  that  of  a  small  hawk,  and  seemed'  less 
absolutely  noiseless  than  that  of  other  owls.  Mr.  Dall,  as 
quoted  by  Dr.  Brewer,  sa3's  of  this  species  u  that  it  is  very 
fond  of  flying,  towards  dusk,  from  the  top  of  one  small  spruce 
to  another,  apparently  swinging  or  balancing  itself,  calling  to 
its  mate  at  intervals,  while  chasing  or  being  chased  by  it." 
Dr.  Richardson  says  :  u  When  the  hunters  are  shooting  Grous, 
this  bird  is  occasional^  attracted  by  the  report  of  the  gun,  and 
is  often  bold  enough,  on  a  bird  being  killed,  to  pounce  down 
upon  it,  though  it  may  be  unable  from  its  size  to  cany  it  off. 
It  is  also  known  to  hover  round  the  fires  made  l}y  the  natives 
at  night."  ^ 

(d).    "  Its  note  is  said  to  be  a  shrill  cry,     *     *     *  ."     (Dr. 
Brewer.) 

IX.    SPIIEOTYTO 

(A)    CUNICULAKIA  (vcir.  HYPOf^EA).     Burrowing  Owl.     Prai- 
rie Owl. 

(One  shot  in  Massachusetts,  at  Newburyport,  May  4,  1875. 3) 

3  The  authority  for  this  statement  is  Mr.  R.  Deano. 


344  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

(a).  "  Above,  grayish-brown,  with  white,  black-edged  spots  ; 
below,  tawny-whitish,  variegated  with  reddish-brown,  chiefly  dis- 
posed in  bars  ;  face  and  throat  whitish  ;  crissum  and  legs  mostly 
unmarked ;  quills  with  numerous  paired  tawny-white  spots, 
and  tail  feathers  barred  with  the  same  ;  bill  grayish  yellow ; 
claws  black;  9-10  long,  *  *  *  .  Prairies  and  other  open 
portions  of  the  United  States  west  of  the  Mississippi,  abun- 
dant ;  lives  in  holes  in  the  ground,  in  prairie-dog  towns,  and 
the  settlements  of  other  burrowing  animals,  using  their  de- 
serted holes  for  its  nesting  place.  There  is  certainly  but 
one  species  in  this  country  ;  it  is  a  mere  variety  of  the  S. 
American  bird."  (Cones.) 

(6).  The  eggs  are  described  by  Dr.  Brewer  as  white,  and 
as  averaging  about  1-35  X  1*15  of  an  inch. 

(c).  The  peculiar  Burrowing  Owls  habitually  occupy  the 
prairies  and  open  lands  to  the  westward  of  the  Mississippi 
River,  and  there  is  but  a  solitary  instance  of  their  appear- 
ance in  New  England.  They  were  formerly  supposed  to  live 
habitually,  as  members  of  a  "  happy  family,"  in  the  imme- 
diate company  and  dwellings  of  both  the  rattle-snakes  and 
prairie  dogs,  but  such  a  state  of  things  has  been  shown  to 
be  fabulous.  From  the  accounts  furnished  by  Say  to  Bona- 
parte, the  following  facts  may  be  gathered.  The  Burrowing 
Owls  frequently  occupy  the  villages  of  the  marmots,  whose 
deserted  holes  they  use,  instead  of  digging  others  for  them- 
selves. They  are  abroad  during  the  da}',  and  apparently  feed 
chiefly  on  insects.  "  They  manifest  but  little  timidity,  and 
allow  themselves  to  be  approached  sufficiently  close  for  shoot- 
ing ;  but  if  alarmed,  some  or  all  of  them  soar  awa}^,  and  settle 
down  again  at  a  short  distance ;  if  further  disturbed,  their 
flight  is  continued  until  they  are  no  longer  in  view,  or  they 
descend  into  their  dwellings,  whence  they  are  difficult  to  dis- 
lodge." 

(d).  "  The  note  of  our  bird  is  strikingly  similar  to  the  cry 
of  the  Marmot,  which  sounds  like  clieh,  clieli,  pronounced  sev- 
eral times  in  rapid  succession ;  *  *  *  this  cry  is  only  uttered 
as  the  bird  begins  its  flight." 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  345 

§  27.  The  PalconidSD  are  the  typical  Raptores,  charac- 
terized by  not  having  the  ear-tufts,  forward-looking  eyes,  and 
concealed  nostrils  of  the  owls,  or  the  naked  head,  elevated 
hind-toe,  and  slightly  webbed  front- toes  of  our  vultures  (Ca- 
thartidce,  §28).  "The  eyes,  as  a  rule  (but  not  always),  are 
sunken  beneath  a  projecting  superciliary  shelf,  conferring  a 
decided  and  threatening  gaze."  The  tarsus  is  either  naked  or 
feathered,  but  the  feathers  above  it  are  long  and  flowing  (with 
certain  exceptions,  as  in  the  fish-hawks). 

The  hawks  and  eagles  are  essentially  diurnal  birds  of  prey, 
not  usually  feeding  on  carrion.  Some  nest  on  cliffs,  some  on 
the  ground,  and  others  in  the  hollows  of  trees ;  but  most  of 
them  build  nests  in  trees,  chiefly  of  sticks.  The  eggs  of  each 
set  are  from  two  to  six,  and  are  laid  early  in  the  season.  They 
are  rarely  subspherical  like  owls'  eggs,  but  are  for  the  most 
part  whitish,  and  generally  blotched. 

In  this  family  there  are  several  distinct  groups. 

The  harriers  (Genus  I).  Face  with  a  slight  ruff,  forming  an 
imperfect  disk  (such  as  belongs  to  the  owte).  Flight  usually 
low,  somewhat  irregular,  but  not  rapid.  Nest  built  on  the 
ground.  Our  species  is  characterized  by  the  white  upper  tail- 
coverts. 

The  falcons  (II).  Upper  mandible  with  a  distinct  pointed 
tooth  behind  the  notch.4  Highly  raptorial  birds  of  medium 
size.  Flight  in  some  respects  inferior  to  that  of 

The  true  hawks  (III,  IV).  Tarsi  not  scutellate  behind,  or 
feathered  to  the  toes,  which  are  always  webbed  at  the  base. 
Birds  of  comparatively  slender  form,  with  a  rapid,  protracted 
flight,  occasionally  interrupted  by  straight  sailing,  even  at 
short  intervals.  They  capture  smaller  birds  with  rapidity  and 
energy. 

The  buzzards,  including  the  eagles  (V,  VI,  VII,  VIII). 
Without  the  characteristics  of  the  other  groups.  (In  VI,  VII, 
tarsus  feathered  to  the  toes.)  Heavy  and  robust  birds,  with  a 


4  The  birds  of  this  genus  have  been  distributed  into  several  subgencra  not 
here  prescuted.    See  PI.  1,  fig.  27. 


346  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

beautiful  and  often  sublime  flight.  They  frequently  sail  up- 
wards or  forwards  without  moving  the  wings,  generally  doing 
so  in  circles.  They  usually  pounce  upon  their  prey  from  above, 
and  often  perch  long  to  watch  for  it. 

The  fish-hawks  (IX).  'k  Plumage  lacking  aftershafts"  and 
oily.  Feet  very  large.  See  IX. 

i.  emeus 

(A)  CYANEUS  (var.  HUDSONIUS).  Marsh  Hawk.  American 
Harrier. 

(A  common  summer-resident  throughout  New  England.) 

(a).  Upper  tail-coverts,  white.  Mature  $ ,  extreme  length 
about  eighteen  inches.  Above,  bluish-gray,  becoming  white 
beneath ;  often  marked  with  brown.  Wings  tipped  icit/i  black. 
9  ,  extreme  length  about  twenty  inches.  Upper  parts,  and 
streaks  beneath,  dark  brown.  Markings  above,  under  parts, 
and  bands  on  the  tail,  soft  reddish-rusty. 

(b).  The  nest,  composed  of  grasses  or  occasionally  sticks, 
is  built,  unlike  thoSe  of  all  our  other  hawks,  upon  the  ground, 
usually  in  a  meadow,  or  other  wet  place.  The  eggs,  of  which 
in  Massachusetts  four  are  laid  about  the  tenth  of  May,  average 
1'80  X  1'35  of  an  inch,  and  are  white,  often  tinged  with  blue, 
and  often  marked  with  brown. 

(c).  The  Marsh  Hawks  are  among  the  least  ambitious  of 
their  family,  for  the  most  part  contenting  themselves  with  such 
humble  prey  as  mice,  snakes,  or  frogs,  and  remaining  near  the 
ground.  They  may  usually  be  seen  flying  low  over  meadows 
and  fields,  or  wandering  about  the  shores  of  some  pond,  but 
they  also  visit  farms,  and  even  molest  poultry.  Sometimes 
the}7  beat  about  for  their  game  ;  at  other  times  they  perch  upon 
some  fence  to  digest  their  last  meal  or  to  watch  for  another. 
They  generally  fly  irregularly  and  leisurely,  with  intermittent 
sailing,  up  or  down,  to  the  right  or  left.  But  occasionally  they 
mount  higher,  and  sail  about  with  ease  ;  in  autumn,  when  fol- 
lowing the  migrations  of  smaller  birds,  they  even  pursue  these 
on  wing,  and  often  with  success.  Customarily,  however,  they 
drop  upon  their  prey  on  the  ground,  and,  after  hurriedly  pois- 


OF    NEW    ENGLAND.  347 

ing,  fall  with  a  very  certain  aim,  immediately  rising,  should 
they  fail,  but,  if  successful,  feeding  upon  the  spot.  Their 
motions  are  characterized  by  ease  and  lightness,  but  their 
wings  seem  too  long  for  rapid  motion.  The  Marsh  Hawks 
generally  leave  New  England  in  autumn,  and  return  in  April. 
In  summer  they  are  among  the  commonest  of  our  hawks. 

(c7).  Their  love-note  is  an  indescribable  scream,  which  is 
not,  however,  wholly  characteristic,  though  distinct  from  any 
of  the  buzzards.  Their  winter-notes,  says  Audubon,  "  are 
sharp,  and  sound  like  the  s}*llables  pee,  pee,  vee,  the  first 
slightly  pronounced,  the  last  louder,  much  prolonged,  and 
ending  plaintively." 

II.    FALCO 

(A)    GYiiFALCO.     Gyrfalcon.     Gerfalcon.     (Jerfakon.) 
(In  Massachusetts,  an  extremely  rare  winter-visitor.) 
(a).    About  twenty  four    inches   long.      Everywhere    white, 
much  marked  with  dark   brown  or  black.     Of  several  races, 
variety  islandicus  is  said  to  be  the  only  one  which  occurs  in 
New  England.     In  this  form,  white  is  especially  predominant 
on  the  head. 

(l>).  The  eggs  are  said  to  measure  about  2*40  X  1'70  of  an 
inch,  and  to  be  much  less  darkly  marked  than  those  of  the 
Duck  Hawk.  The  nests  are  built  on  cliffs. 

(c).  Audubon  describes  as  follows  their  habits  in  Labrador: 
u  Their  flight  resembled  that  of  the  Peregrine  Falcon,  but  was 
more  elevated,  majestic,  and  rapid.  They  rarely  sailed  when 
travelling  to  and  fro,  but  used  a  constant  beat  of  their  wings. 
When  over  the  Puffins,  and  high  in  the  air,  they  would  hover 
almost  motionless,  as  if  watching  the  proper  moment  to  close 
their  pinions,  and  when  that  arrived,  they  would  descend  al- 
most perpendicularly  on  their  unsuspecting  victims. 

"Their  cries  also  resembled  those  of  the  Peregrine  Falcon, 
being  loud,  shrill,  and  piercing.  Now  and  then  they  would 
alight  on  some  of  the  high  stakes  placed  on  the  shore  as  bea- 
cons to  the  fishermen  who  visit  the  coast,  and  stand  for  a  few 
minutes,  not  erect  like  most  other  Hawks,  but  in  the  position 


348  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

of  a  Lestris  or  Tern,  after  which  they  would  resume  their  avo- 
cations, and  pounce  upon  a  Puffin,  which  they  generally  did 
while  the  poor  bird  was  standing  on  the  ground  at  the  very 
entrance  of  its  burrow,  apparently  quite  unaware  of  the  ap- 
proach of  its  powerful  enemy.  The  Puffin  appeared  to  form 
no  impediment  to  the  flight  of  the  Hawk,  which  merely  shook 
itself  after  rising  in  the  air,  as  if  to  arrange  its  plumage,  as 
the  Fish  Hawk  does  when  it  has  emerged  from  the  water  with 
a  fish  in  its  talons." 

To  this  account  I  can  add  nothing,  having  never  seen  these 
birds,  who  are  of  accidental  occurrence  so  far  to  the  southward 
as  Boston.  I  may  here  express  my  regrets  at  having  had  no 
opportunities  of  extending  my  researches  to  Labrador,  from 
which  a  wealth  of  knowledge  is  undoubtedly  to  be  obtained. 
Indeed,  "an  author  should  devote  himself  to  travel  and  to  one 
study,"  as  has  been  said  by  a  predecessor. 

(B)  COMMUNIS  (var.  ANATUM).  (American)  Peregrine  Fal- 
con. Duck  Hawk.  Great-footed  Hawk. 

(Very  rare  in  Massachusetts,  though  known  to  have  bred  on 
Mount  Tom,  near  Springfield.) 

(a).  About  eighteen  inches  long.  Above,  dark  ash  (brown- 
ish or  bluish,  according  to  age),  "  waved"  with  a  paler  shade. 
Tail  banded.  Beneath,  white  or  buffy  ;  breast  spotted,  and 
sides  barred,  with  black.  Forehead,  whitish  ;  cheeks,  black. 

(b).  The  nest,  if  any,  is  built  on  a  cliff,  in  some  spot  not 
easily  accessible.  A  set  of  four  eggs,  found  in  this  State,  was 
laid  in  the  early  part  of  April.  The  Duck  Hawk's  eggs  aver- 
age about  2-20  X  1*70  of  an  inch,  and  are  creamy,  buff,  red- 
dish, or  even  brick-red,  blotched  and  clouded  with  (several 
shades  of)  dark  brown,  often  of  a  reddish  tinge.  A  specimen 
in  my  collection  presents  a  form  or  appearance,  frequently 
observable  in  other  eggs,  that  of  having  had  the  upper  and 
darker  markings  removed. 

(c).  The  spirited  Duck  Hawks  (the  American  representa- 
tives of  the  famous  Peregrine  Game-falcons)  belong  to  the 
highest  nobility  of  their  tribe,  rarely  descending  from  the  dig-- 


OF   NEW    ENGLAND.  349 

nit}-  of  open  warfare,  and  pursuing  birds  on  the  wing  with  un- 
surpassed courage,  speed,  and  skill.  They  are  known  to  breed 
in  several  isolated  parts  of  New  England,  where  the}- are  prob- 
ably resident  throughout  the  year,  but  in  Eastern  Massachu- 
setts they  are  extremely  rare,  though  they  may  occur  along  the 
coast  in  autumn  or  winter.  Audubon,  from  his  devotion  to 
the  pursuit  of  birds,  was  undoubtedly  more  familiar  with  the 
birds  of  prey  than  any  other  of  our  writers ;  and,  having  had 
no  opportunities  to  study  the  habits  of  the  Duck  Hawk,  I  shall 
therefore  quote  from  him. 

"The  flight  of  this  bird  is  of  astonishing  rapidity.  It  is 
scarcely  ever  seen  sailing,  unless  after  being  disappointed  in 
its  attempt  to  secure  the  prey  which  it  has  been  pursuing,  and 
even  at  such  times  it  merely  rises  with  a  broad  spiral  circuit, 
to  attain  a  sufficient  elevation  to  enable  it  to  reconnoitre  a  cer- 
tain space  below.  It  then  emits  a  cry  much  resembling  that 
of  the  Sparrow  Hawk,  but  greatly  louder,  like  that  of  the 
European  Kestrel,  and  flies  off  swiftly  in  quest  of  plunder. 
The  search  is  often  performed  with  a  flight  resembling  that  of 
the  tame  pigeon,  until  perceiving  an  object,  it  redoubles  its 
flappings,  and  pursues  the  fugitive  with  a  rapidity  scarcely  to 
be  conceived.  Its  turnings,  windings  and  cuttings  through 
the  air  are  now  surprising.  It  follows  and  nears  the  timorous 
quarry  at  every  turn  and  back-cutting  which  the  latter  at- 
tempts. Arrived  within  a  few  feet  of  the  prey,  the  Falcon  is 
seen  protruding  his  powerful  legs  and  talons  to  their  full 
stretch.  His  wings  are  for  a  moment  almost  closed  ;  the  next 
instant  he  grapples  the  prize,  which,  if  too  weighty  to  be  car- 
ried off-  directly,  he  forces  obliquely  toward  the  ground,  some- 
times a  hundred  yards  from  where  it  was  seized,  to  kill  it,  and 
devour  it  on  the  spot.  Should  this  happen  over  a  large  extent 
of  water,  the  Falcon  drops  his  prey,  and  sets  off  in  quest  of 
another.  On  the  contrary,  should  it  not  prove  too  heavy,  the 
exulting  bird  carries  it  off  to  a  sequestered  and  secure  place.  ' 
He  pursues  the  smaller  Ducks,  Water-hens,  and  other  swim- 
ming birds,  and  if  they  are  not  quick  in  diving,  seizes  them, 
and  rises  with  them  from  the  water.  I  have  seen  this  Hawk 


350  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

come  at  the  report  of  a  gun,  and  carry  off  a  Teal  not  thirty 
steps  distant  from  the  sportsman  who  had  killed  it,  with  a  dar- 
ing assurance  as  surprising  as  unexpected.  This  conduct  has 
been  observed  by  many  individuals,  and  is  a  characteristic 
trait  of  the  species.  The  largest  duck  that  I  have  seen  this 
bird  attack  and  grapple  with  on  the  wing  is  the  Mallard. 

"The  Great-footed  Hawk  does  not,  however,  content  himself 
•with  water-fowl.  He  is  sometimes  seen  following  flocks  of 
Pigeons  and  even  Blackbirds.  For  several  days  I  watched 
one  of  them  that  had  taken  a  particular  fancy  to  some  tame 
pigeons,  to  secure  which  it  went  so  far  as  to  enter  their  house 
at  one  of  the  holes,  seize  a  bird,  and  issue  by  another  hole  in 
an  instant,  causing  such  terror  among  the  rest  as  to  render  me 
fearful  that  they  would  abandon  the  place.  However,  I  fortu- 
nately shot  the  depredator. 

"They  occasionally  feed  on  dead  fish  that  have  floated  to 
the  shores  or  sand  bars.  *  *  * 

"Whilst  in  quest  of  food,  the  Great-footed  Hawk  will  fre- 
quently alight  on  the  highest  dead  branch  of  a  tree  in  the  im- 
mediate neighbourhood  of  such  wet  or  marshy  grounds  as  the 
Common  Snipe  resorts  to  by  preference.  His  head  is  seen 
moving  in  short  starts,  as  if  he  were  counting  every  little  space 
below  ;  and  while  so  engaged,  the  moment  he  spies  a  Snipe, 
down  he  darts  like  an  arrow,  making  a  rustling  noise  with  his 
wings  that  may  be  heard  several  hundred  yards  off,  seizes  the 
Snipe,  and  flies  away  to  some  near  wood  to  devour  it. 

"It  is  a  cleanly  bird,  in  respect  to  feeding.  No  sooner  is  the 
prey  dead  than  the  Falcon  turns  its  belly  upward,  and  begins 
to  pluck  it  with  his  bill,  which  he  does  very  expertly,  holding  it 
meantime  quite  fast  in  his  talons  ;  and  as  soon  as  a  portion  is 
cleared  of  feathers,  tears  the  flesh  in  large  pieces,  and  swallows 
it  with  great  avidity.  If  it  is  a  large  bird,  he  le-aves  the  refuse 
parts,  but,  if  small,  swallows  the  whole  in  pieces.  Should  he 
be  approached  by  an  enemy,  he  rises  with  it  and  flies  off  to  the 
interior  of  the  woods,  or  if  he  happens  to  bo  in  a  meadow,  to 
some  considerable  distance,  he  being  more  wary  at  such  times 
than  when  he  has  alighted  on  a  tree." 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  351 

Andubon  elsewhere  adds  :  "I  never  saw  one  of  them  attack 
a  quadruped,  although  I  have  frequently  seen  them  perched 
within  sight  of  squirrels,  which  I  thought  they  might  Easily 
have  secured,  had  they  been  so  inclined."  He  also  says: 
"  Man}*  persons  believe  that  this  Hawk,  and  some  others,  never 
drink  any  other  fluid  than  the  blood  of  their  victims;  but  this 
is  an  error.  I  have  seen  them  alight  on  sand-bars,  walk  to  the 
edge  of  them,  immerse  their  bills  nearly  up  to  the  eyes  in  the 
water,  and  drink  in  a  continued  manner,  as  Pigeons  are  known 
to  do." 

The  Duck  Hawks  are  so  destructive,  and  so  much  opposed 
to  the  interests  of  sportsmen,  that,  in  spite  of  their  admirable 
spirit  and  strength,  it  is  not  to  be  regretted  that  they  are  rare 
in  Massachusetts. 

(C)    COLUMBARIUS.     Pigeon  Hctwk.     American  Merlin. 

(Not  very  common  in  Massachusetts,  though  known  to  have 
bred  here.) 

(a).  About  twelve  inches  long.  Above,  dark  ashy-blue  ;  in 
the  young  (and  9  )  ashy-brown.  Forehead,  tip  and  narrow 
bands  of  the  tail,  and  markings  on  the  wing,  white  or  whitish. 
Tail,  in  $ ,  also  banded  with  black.  Beneath,  white,  tinged 
with  buff  on  the  breast,  with  reddish  behind,  and  marked  with 
dark  brown. 

(b).  The  eggs  average  1-50  X  1'20  of  an  inch,  but  other- 
wise strongly  resemble  those  of  the  Duck  Hawk,  unless  more 
finely  marked.  James  Gatle}',  the  so-called  "Hermit  of  Hyde 
Park,"  obtained  in  that  town,  several  years  before  his  death, 
and  before  the  pine-woods  were  extensively  cut  down,  a  small 
and  neatly  constructed  nest  of  this  species,  together  with  the 
parents  and  young.  I  have  another  nest  and  five  eggs,  which 
were,  found  near  Boston  in  the  early  part  of  May.  The  latter, 
which  was  built  in  a  pine  about  twenty  feet  from  the  ground, 
is  composed  of  sticks,  together  with  dry  grass,  strips  of  cedar- 
bark,  and  a  little  moss.  The  eggs  are  abnormal,  being  buff, 
slightly  clouded  with  a  darker  shade. 

(c).   The  Pigeon  Hawks  occur  in  the  winter  so  far  to  the 


352  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

southward  as  Florida,  but  at  that  season  are  rare  in  Massachu- 
setts, much  more  so  than  in  spring  or  fall.  They  vary  in  num- 
bers ffom  year  to  year,  but  occasionally  breed  here,  and  this  I 
can  from  personal  experience  positively  assert.  They  are 
probably  more  abundant  as  summer-residents  to  the  northward, 
as  I  have  observed  them  to  be  most  numerous  near  Boston  in 
fall,  though  never  common.  Occasionally  they  may  be  seen 
traveling,  even  in  pairs,  moving  leisurely  along  at  some  height 
in  the  air.  They  do  not  sail  so  much  as  most  of  our  hawks, 
but  often  perch  on  a  tree  to  watch  for  their  prey,  which  they 
pursue  with  indescribable  speed  and  skill,  and  with  a  rapid  beat- 
ing of  the  wings.  They  feed  principally  upon  birds  (even  at- 
tacking those  of  their  own  size),  pursuing  them  through  thick 
and  thin,  and  following  every  turn  with  surprising  agility,  un- 
til, overtaking  their  victim,  they  thrust  their  talons  into  its 
vitals,  causing  instant  death.  They  generally  begin  their  re- 
past upon  the  spot,  and  do  not  carry  off  their  prey.  They 
frequent  the  woods  rather  less  than  the  Sharp-shinned  Hawks, 
but  more  often  occur  in  pastures  with  scattered  trees,  or  about 
open  lands.  Their  movements  and  haunts  seem  more  or  less 
dependent  upon  the  progress  of  the  smaller  birds,  whose  mi- 
grations they  often  follow.  They  are  somewhat  shy  of  man, 
but  are  said  to  be  so  bold  as  to  carry  off  chickens  from  the 
farm-yard.  In  summer,  I  have  seen  them  among  pines,  where 
I  have  known  them  to  build  their  nest. 

On  consulting  other  authors,  I  find  the  following  facts,  which 
I  have  either  not  mentioned  or  never  observed.  Wilson  says 
of  this  species:  "Sometimes  when  shot  at,  and  not  hurt,  he 
will  fly  in  circles  over  the  sportsman's  head,  shrieking  out  with 
great  violence,  as  if  highly  irritated.  He  frequently  flies  low, 
skimming  a  little  above  the  field." 

Samuels  says  :  "  The  Pigeon  Hawk,  in  alighting  on  a  branch 
or  other  object,  alwa}rs  descends  below  the  level  of  it,  and  rises 
up  ;  and  usually  turns  abruptly  about,  and  faces  the  direction 
from  which  it  came,  as  soon  as  it  has  struck  its  perch.  This 
habit  is  observable  in  many  of  the  other  hawks. 

u  While  perching,  the  tail  is  often  flirted  up  and  down,  and 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  353 

the  wings  are  partially  opened  and  shut  in  a  nervous  manner, 
as  if  the  bird  were  anxious  to  be  off  again  in  the  pursuit  of 
game." 

Sa}*s  Dr.  Wood  :  "  This  bird  when  sitting  on  a  tree  so 
closely  resembles  a  pigeon  that  it  will  oftentimes  deceive  the 
most  expert  hunter.  One  of  the  specimens  brought  me  was 
shot  for  a  pigeon,  and  the  mistake  was  not  discovered  until 
the  bird  was  picked  up.  It  is  from  this  striking  singularity 
that  I  suppose  it  derives  its  name." 

(d).  The  notes  of  the  Pigeon  IIawrk,  heard  chiefly  in  spring, 
are  quite  characteristic,  but,  nevertheless,  are  not  easily  de- 
scribed. In  fact,  it  is  almost  or  wholly  impossible  to  know  the 
cries  of  our  hawks,  unless  learned  directly  from  nature. 

(D)  SPARVERIUS.  (American)  Sparrow  Hawk.  American 
Kestrel. 

(In  New  England,  a  summer-resident,  locally  distributed.) 

(a).  About  eleven  inches  long.  Crown,  ashy-blue,  usually 
with  a  chestnut  patch  of  varying  size.  Head,  otherwise  white,  . 
with  generally  seven  large  black  markings,  including  one  on 
the  nape.  Tail,  often  surrounded  by  white  ;  and  broadly  (sub-) 
tipped  with  black.  Primaries,  etc.,  black,  with  imperfect  white 
bars.  Otherwise: —  9?  brown  above,  becoming  chestnut  on 
the  tail,  nearly  everywhere  black -barred.  Beneath,  white ; 
breast  (often  buffy  or  reddish,  and)  streaked  with  black  (or 
dark  brown).  <£ ,  smaller,  and  with  few  or  no  black  bars  or 
streaks.  Wing-coverts,  ashy-blue  (sometimes  spotted  with 
black). 

(6).  The  eggs  arc  generally  deposited  in  the  hollow  of  a 
tree, — often  of  one  rather  isolated,  a  very  rare  circumstance  in 
the  case  of  other  hawks.  The  eggs,  four  or  five  in  number,  or 
even  more,  are  laid  in  Massachusetts  about  the  middle  of  May. 
Two,  taken  from  my  cabinet,  are  fair  specimens.  One  meas- 
ures 1-35X1*20  of  an  inch,  and  is  very  light  brown,  with  small 
blotches  of  reddish  "Vandyke."  The  other  measures  1-35X 
1-20  of  an  inch,  is  somewhat  spherical  and  is  finely  freckled 
with  two  shades  of  russet,  confluently  so  at  the  two  ends. 
24 


354  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

Other  specimens  exhibit  great  variation  in  ground-colors,  but 
they  rarely  have  the  large  and  prominent  markings,  often  seen 
on  the  eggs  of  the  Sharp-shinned  Hawk. 

(c).  The  Sparrow  Hawks,  though  their  flight  is  compara- 
tively weak,  it  being  rarely  or  never  much  protracted,  are  none 
the  less  active  and  daring.  Perched  on  some  tree  or  fence, 
and  occasionally  flirting  the  tail,  they  eagerly  watch  for  their 
prey,  which  consists  of  mice,  small  birds,  and  even  insects. 
Then,  as  if  restless  and  dissatisfied,  they  leave  their  post,  and 
fly  off  along  the  roadsides,  over  the  fields,  through  the  or- 
chards, but  less  often  among  the  woods  than  in  open  lands. 
Now  pausing  to  reconnoitre,  with  a  quivering  of  the  wings, 
now  sailing  briefly  but  with  eminent  grace,  they  pass  on  swiftly, 
but  not  in  the  constant  hurry  which  characterizes  the  Sharp- 
shinned  Hawk.  Sometimes  they  pounce  upon  a  field  mouse, 
which  they  often  carry  to  a  tree  to  eat ;  sometimes  their  quick 
eye  detects  a  poor  sparrow  or  thrush,  and  they  then  dive  into 
some  thicket  or  chase  on  wing,  generally  with  fatal  success. 
Their  motions  are  characterized  by  more  grace,  but  less  speed 
and  fury,  than  those  of  the  other  small  hawks.  They  are,  how- 
ever, equally  cruel  and  destructive,  and  the  smaller  birds  find 
little  or  no  protection  in  thickets  or  trees.  They  usually  perch 
and  fly  not  far  from  the  ground,  and  never,  so  far  as  I  have 
observed,  mount  to  a  great  height.  Several  anecdotes  serve  to 
show  that  they  are  very  scrupulous  about  their  food,  and  do 
not  like  tainted  flesh.  They  are  the  least  shy  of  our  hawks, 
and  often  exhibit  a  surprising  degree  of  familiarity  toward 
men.  They  are  also  rather  social,  and  not  uncommonly  occur 
in  family-parties  or  pairs. 

The  Sparrow  Hawks  are  distributed  through  New  England 
rather  locally,  but  apparently  are  nowhere  common.  They  are 
especially  rare  in  Eastern  Massachusetts,  so  far  as  I  have  ob- 
served in  confirmation  of  others,  and,  having  never  seen  them 
in  winter,  suppose  them  undoubtedly  to  be  migratory.  Mr. 
Maynard,  however,  considers  them  as  resident  throughout  the 
year,  though  rare  in  winter.  In  Florida  they  are  "abundant," 
remaining  there  at  all  seasons,  though  known  to  occur  in  high 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  355 

latitudes  as  summer-residents.  They  seem  to  have  a  marked 
fondness  for  home,  and  return  to  the  same  nesting-place,  even 
several  years,  it  is  said,  in  succession.  Wilson  mentions  a 
frequent  circumstance  in  their  life,  which  I  have  never  ob- 
served, and  says  :  uThe  Blue  Jays  have  a  particular  antipathy 
to  this  bird,  and  frequently  insult  it  b}*  following  and  imitating 
its  notes  so  exactly  as  to  deceive  even  those  well  acquainted 
with  both.  In  return  for  all  this  abuse  the  Hawk  contents 
himself  with,  now  and  then,  feasting  on  the  plumpest  of  his 
persecutors  ;  who  are  therefore  in  perpetual  dread  of  him  ;  and 
yet,  thro  some  strange  infatuation,  or  from  fear  that  if  they 
lose  sight  of  him  he  may  attack  them  unawares,  the  Sparrow 
Hawk  no  sooner  appears  than  the  alarm  is  given,  and  the 
whole  posse  of  Jays  follow." 

(d).  The  notes  of  this  species  are  loud  and  rather  shrill, 
but  canrfot  be  t' jfined.  It  may  be  useful,  However,  for  some 
person  familiar  with  British  birds,  to  know  that  they  were 
thought  by  Audubon  to  strongly  resemble  those  of  the  Eu- 
ropean Kestrel. 

III.   ACCIPITER5 

(A)    FUSCUS.     Sharp-sliinned  Hawlc.     "  Pigeon  Hawk." 

(A  common  summer-resident  in  many  parts  of  New  Eng- 
land.) 

(a).  About  twelve  inches  long.  Above,  dark  brown  (be- 
coming ashier  with  age),  with  a  few  white  spots,  chiefly  on  the 
hind-head  and  .wings.  Tail,  lighter,  with  a  few  dark  bands 
(which  are  more  distinct  than  those  of  the  wings),  and  tipped 
with  pale  brown  or  whitish.  Beneath,  white  ;  breast,  closely 
barred  with  light  rufous-brown,  and  throat  pencilled,  but  under 
tail-coverts  often  unmarked.  The  shafts  of  the  wing  and  tail 
have  a  faint  reddish  gloss,  as  have  also  the  basal  portion  of 
the  webs. 

(b).  The  nest  is  usually  built  in  a  pine,  from  twenty  to  forty 
feet  above  the  ground.  It  is  composed  chiefly  of  sticks  and 

6  Nisus  has  been  lately  established  in  place  of  Accipiter, 


356  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

twigs,  placed  in  a  fork  or  crotch  next  to  the  trunk.  The  eggs, 
about  four  in  number,  are  laid  near  Boston,  in  the  second  week 
of  May.  They  measure  l-50Xl'2o  of  an  inch  or  less,  and  are 
•white  (tinged  with  blue  or  green),  sometimes  unmarked,  but 
more  often  with  a  few  large  and  prominent  markings  of  dark 
brown,  chiefly  near  the  crown. 

(c).  The  Sharp-shinned  Hawks  are  common  summer-resi- 
dents throughout  New  England,  but  near  Boston,  so  far  as  I 
have  observed,  are  extremely  rare  in  winter,  though  I  have 
seen  one  boldly  perched  on  the  shafts  of  a  wagon  in  a  shed. 
Though  naturally  shy,  they  are  very  impudent,  and,  trusting 
to  the  rapidity  of  their  flight,  often  commit  some  daring  rob- 
bery before  the  eyes  of  the  farmer.  They  frequent  the  woods 
much  more  than  the  Sparrow  Hawk,  and  lie  in  wait  there  for 
some  unfortunate  passer-by.  Should  a  Robin  make  his  ap- 
pearance, they  give  chase,  and  though  he  fly  never  so  quickly, 
they  soon  overtake  him.  Sometimes,  as  they  pass  through  the 
woods,  they  perceive  some  innocent  bird  feeding  on  the  ground, 
whom  they  seize  and  bear  off  almost  before  the  traveler  can 
realize  what  has  happened.  So  great  is  their  eagerness  and 
daring  that  their  victims  can  hardly  find  any  refuge  from  their 
fury.  Nuttall  says  in  illustration  of  their  impetuous  violence 
that  "  descending  furiously  and  blindly  upon  its  quariy,  a 
young  Hawk  of  this  species  broke  through  the  glass  of  the 
green-house  at  the  Cambridge  Botanic  Garden,  and  fearlessly 
passing  through  a  second  glass  partition,  he  was  only  brought 
up  by  the  third,  and  caught,  though  little  stunned  by  the  ef- 
fort. His  wing-feathers  were  much  torn  by  the  glass,  and  his 
flight  in  this  way  so  impeded  as  to  allow  of  his  being  ap- 
proached." The  Sharp-shinned  Hawk  characterizes  all  his 
movements  with  the  same  speed  and  continual  apparent  haste, 
the  same  restlessness  and  impetuosity.  He  often  flies  far,  and 
even  at  a  great  height,  but  much  less  often  straight  forward  or 
with  a  regular  beat  of  the  wings  than  the  Pigeon  Hawk. 
"When  frying  to  a  distance,  his  flappings  are  quick  but  some- 
what irregular,  but,  when  hunting,  he  moves  nervously,  now 
bigh,  now  low,  now  to  the  right,  now  to  the  left,  rarely  having 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  357 

the  patience  to  sail  protractedly.  On  following  his  prey,  he 
does  so  as  if  attracted  by  an  irresistible  magnet,  his  move- 
ments being  instantly  simultaneous  with  those  of  his  quarry. 
He  generally  carries  off  his  food,  and  eats  it  in  a  tree.  But 
his  prowess  in  comparison  with  his  size  is  astonishing,  and  he 
often  pounces  upon  birds  much  larger  or  heavier  than  himself. 
I  have  seen  him  fall  upon  Pigeon  Woodpeckers,  and  upon 
plump  Quail.  In  such  cases,  he  feeds  upon  the  ground,  but  it 
is  useless  to  rescue  his  victims,  as  they  are  almost  invariably 
found  to  be  dead  or  past  all  recoveiy.  These  Hawks  are  said  by 
Audubon  to  act  often  in  concert,  but  they  usually  hunt  singly. 
I  have  seen  the  Goldfinches  escape  from  their  clutches  by 
mounting  above  them,  even  until  almost  lost  to  sight,  but  most 
birds,  terrified  by  the  fury  of  their  onslaught,  instinctively 
dive  into  thickets  or  trees,  which  unfortunately  afford  them  but 
little  protection.  Whatever  feelings  of  anger  and  indefinite 
longings  for  revenge  may  be  excited  by  the  Sharp-shinned 
Hawks,  one  cannot  but  admire  their  intrepidity  and  spirit. 
Though  they  feed  partly  upon  insects,  yet  they  must  be  con- 
sidered eminently  destructive,  and  be  ranked  among  the  auda- 
cious marauders  who  unhesitatingly  plunder  the  farm.  It  is 
common  to  find  traces  of  their  murders  in  carefully  picked 
bones  or  scattered  ffeathers,  along  the  wood-paths  where  they 
have  secured  some  prize. 

(d).  Their  notes  are  loud  and  shrill,  but  are  not  often  heard 
except  in  spring. 

(B)   COOPERI.     Cooper's  Hawk.     "  Chicken  Hawk." 

(In  New  England,  a  summer-resident.) 

(a).  About  eighteen  inches  long.  Tail  slightly  rounded. 
"  Neck  often  marked  with  rufous."  Otherwise  like  the  Sharp- 
shinned  Hawk  (A). 

(b).  The  nest  has  a  strong  outward  resemblance  to  that  of 
the  Crow,  and  sometimes  an  imperfect  resemblance  throughout. 
It  is  composed  chiefly  of  sticks,  which  are  neatly  laid  together 
near  the  top  of  a  pine,  a  rather  slender  tree  being  not  un fre- 
quently chosen.  It  is  placed  either  in  the  topmost  crotch,  or 


358  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

more  often  at  the  junction  of  two  branches  with  the  trunk, 
from  forty  to  sixty  feet  above  the  ground.  Such  are  the  nests 
observed  near  Boston,  where  the  eggs  are  laid  in  the  first  week 
of  May.  Of  these,  the  usual  set  of  three  or  four  average  about 
1*90  X  1*50  of  an  inch,  and  are  white,  tinged  with  blue  (some- 
times deeply),  either  unmarked,  or  with  a  few  brown  blotches. 

(c).  The  Cooper's  Hawks  are  common  summer-residents  in 
all  the  States  of  New  England,  but  in  man}'  places  are  much 
less  numerous  than  other  species.  Their  general  habits  and 
manners  are  essentially  the  same  as  those  of  the  Sharp-shinned 
Hawks,  but  they  have  much  less  "  dash,"  and  are  not  so  bold. 
They  are  easily  distinguished  by  their  size.  They  may  usually 
be  seen  flying  just  above  the  trees  with  a  flapping  of  the  wings, 
then  a  straight  and  rather  measured  sail,  for  they  rarely  move 
in  circles.  They  feed  upon  rabbits,  squirrels,  water-fowl,  and 
other  birds,  but  not  often  on  the  smaller  kinds,  as  I  have  seen 
these  near  them,  or  about  their  nests,  disregarded.  They  may 
be  seen  to  pursue  flocks  of  wild  pigeons  or  other  migrants  with 
a  beat  of  the  wings  as  rapid  as  that  of  their  victims,  and  seiz- 
ing one  to  bear  it  to  some  grove.  Sometimes,  in  passing 
through  the  woods,  they  suddenly  pounce  upon  the  Ruffed 
Grouse,  for  the}r  do  not  hesitate  to  grapple  with  creatures  much 
larger  than  themselves.  At  other  times,  J-hey  mark  a  Robin, 
and  follow  it  wherever  it  goes,  dashing  between  branches, 
through  trees,  and  over  the  fields,  rarely  being  disappointed 
in  the  end.  If  possible,  the}-  carry  their  prey  to  the  woods, 
and  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  during  a  continued  residence 
in  one  place,  they  often  resort  to  the  same  tree.  They  are  well 
known  to  the  farmers  as  "Chicken"  Hawks. 

(t?).  Their  cries  suggest  the  exclamation  of  an  alarmed  hen, 
and  consist  of  several  successive  notes,  which  Audubon  con- 
sidered similar  to  those  of  the  Pigeon  Hawk. 

IV.  ASTUR 

(A)  PALUMBARIUS  (var.  ATRiCApiLLUs).  (American)  Gos- 
hawk. l c Pa rtridge  Hawk" 

(In  Massachusetts,  a  resident  throughout  the  year,  but  very 
rare  in  the  breeding-season  and  summer.) 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  359 

(a).  20-24  inches  long.  Above,  ashy  or  slate,  becoming 
blackish  on  the  head.  Tail  with  dark  bands  and  a  white  tip. 
Superciliary  line  and  under  parts,  white ;  the  latter  waved  or 
barred,  and  finely  streaked,  with  ashy-brown  or  slate. 

(6).  The  nest  is  usually  built  of  sticks,  etc.,  in  a  tall  tree. 
The  eggs  measure  about  2'25X1'75  of  an  inch,  or  more,  and 
are  white,  strongly  tinged  with  blue  or  green,  and  sometimes 
marked  with  brown. 

(c).  The  handsome  Gos-hawks  are  constant  residents  in 
northern  New  England,  and  also  in  Massachusetts,  where, 
however,  they  are  so  extremely  rare  in  summer  that  I  have 
found  but  one  nest,  and  have  seen  only  two  pairs.  In  winter, 
they  are  seldom  common  near  Boston,  though  their  numbers 
vary  from  }Tear  to  }'ear.  They  are  very  spirited  and  de- 
structive, feeding  principally  upon  rabbits,  squirrels,  pigeons, 
grouse,  and  ducks.  They  are  also  very  active,  perching  and 
sailing  comparatively  little.  They  move,  often  at  a  consider- 
able height,  with  a  regular  beating  of  the  wings,  which  is  re- 
doubled, should  they  give  chase  to  a  flock  of  birds,  when  they 
move  with  a  speed  unsurpassed  by  that  of  any  other  hawk.  I 
have  seen  one  press  into  a  company  of  Pine  Grosbeaks  and 
seize  one  in  each  foot.  On  perceiving  a  single  bird  of  tempt- 
ing size,  they  sometimes  secure  it  by  diving  from  above,  when, 
without  a  moment's  pause,  they  carry  it  to  a  perch.  In  the 
woods  they  fly  rather  low,  ready  to  drop  upon  their  prey,  but 
so  rapidly  that  one  might  imagine  that  their  sight  would  be 
blurred.  I  have  been  surprised  to  observe  how  easilv,  when 
guiding  themselves  among  the  trees,  they  detect  the  presence 
of  a  partridge  or  squirrel.  They  are  not,  however,  capable  of 
constant  activity,  and  occasionally,  gracefully  sailing  up  to 
some  perch,  they  watch  for  their  prey,  sometimes  doing  so  in 
open  land.  They  stand  with  an  erectness  observable  in  other 
hawks,  and  are  spirited  even  when  at  rest. 

(d).  For  a  greater  part  of  the  }Tear  they  live  singly  and  si- 
lently, but  in  spring  I  have  heard  them  utter  loud  screams. 


360  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 


V.   BUTEO 

(A)  BOREALIS.  Red-tailed  Hawk  (or  Buzzard}.  (Eastern) 
"  Red-tail."  " Hen  Hawk." 

(In  Massachusetts,  a  resident  throughout  the  year,  but  less 
common  than  the  next  species.) 

(a).  Extreme  length,  nearly  two  feet.  Above,  dark  brown, 
marked  with  fulvous  (chiefly  on  the  head),  and  with  white 
(chiefly  behind).  Tail,  chestnut-red,  tipped  with  white,  and 
sub-tipped  with  black,  but  beneath  of  a  uniform  silvery  gray. 
Under  parts,  white  (or  tinged),  marked  with  a  varying  shade  of 
brown,  which  generally  forms  an  interrupted  band  across  the 
lower  breast.  A  fine  immature  specimen,  now  before  me,  is 
more  than  two  feet  in  length.  Above,  dark  umber,  more  or 
less  interrupted  by  white,  chiefly  on  the  tail-coverts.  Beneath, 
white;  sides  blotched  with  umber-brown,  forming  a  dark  zone 
across  the  lower  breast.  Feathers  of  the  thigh  spotted  or  im- 
perfectly barred  with  a  lighter  shade.  Tail,  medium  brown 
(often  tinged  with  gray,  but  here  with  chestnut),  barred  with 
blackish,  tipped  with  whitish ;  beneath,  light  gray,  and  faintly 
barred. 

(b).  The  nest  does  not  differ  from  that  of  the  Red-shoul- 
dered Hawk,  unless  in  being  sometimes  less  well  lined,  occa- 
sionally rather  less  accessible,  and  more  often  built  in  dry 
woods.  For  a  description  of  the  eggs,  see  B,  b. 

(c).  The  Red-tailed  Buzzards  are  the  most  majestic  of  our 
hawks,  though  surpassed  by  many  in  activity  and  speed.  They 
are  in  southern  New  England  resident  throughout  the  year, 
but  are  said  to  occur  to  the  northward  only  during  the  summer- 
season.  Except  in  winter,  they  are  much  less  common  than 
the  Red-shouldered  Hawk,  whose  habits  are  so  very  similar, 
that  I  shall  abbreviate  this  biography,  and  refer  my  readers  to 
the  next.  They  sometimes  sail  even  a  mile  without  moving 
the  wings,  or  mount  in  circles  till  nearly  lost  to  sight,  but  they 
are  ordinarily  dependent  upon  the  impetus  given  by  occasional 
flappings.  They  feed  upon  large  birds,  rabbits,  squirrels, 
snakes,  frogs,  etc.,  and  not  unfrequently  fall  upon  their  prey 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  361 

from  an  elevation  of  several  hundred  feet.  They  also  often 
perch  upon  some  tree,  as  in  a  meadow,  and  watch  for  move- 
ments in  the  grass.  They  are  somewhat  shy  and  difficult  to 
approach,  but  they  are  bold  enough  to  carry  off  poultry,  and 
I  have  been  told  of  one  actually  caught  in  a  hen-house. 

(d).  I  can  perceive  no  essential  difference  between  their 
cries  and  those  of  the  next  species. 

(B)  LINEATUS.  Red-sliouldered  Hawk  (or  Buzzard).  "JF/en 
Hawk.91 

(In  Massachusetts,  a  common  resident  throughout  the  }*ear.) 

(«).  Much  less  stout  than  the  "  Red-tail,"  and  less  in  aver- 
age size,  the  female  being  rarely  or  never  more  than  twenty- 
three  inches  long.  The  coloration  is  variable,  but  the  follow- 
ing description  of  a  fine  mature  specimen  will  answer  for 
others.  Above,  dark  brown.  Head,  streaked  with  rusty  and 
white;  back  and  rump  marked  with  the  same  colors.  .Tail, 
and  quill-feathers,  black ;  the  former  tipped,  and  both  barred, 
with  white.  Shoulders,  rich  rufous  or  pheasant-brown.  Be- 
neath, white.  Breast,  etc.,  streaked,  chiefly  with  fulvous,  with 
which  the  belly,  etc.,  is  tinged  and  finely  barred.  Under  tail- 
coverts,  white  ;  tail  the  same,  with  bands  of  pearly  gray.  Im- 
mature birds  have  the  white  above  and  black  impure,  the 
rufous  wanting  or  restricted.  Beneath,  white,  streaked  (and 
spotted)  with  dark  brown.  "Tail  beneath  silvery  white." 
Under  wing-coverts  usually  more  or  less  fulvous  as  in  the 
adult. 

(b).  The  "  Hen  Hawks"  generally  build  a  fresh  nest  every 
year,  though  they  may  occasionally  occupy  the  same  nest  u  for 
several  seasons,"  as  Mr.  Samuels  states  to  be  the  case.  Should 
their  home  be  destroyed  during  the  season  of  incubation,  they 
usually  repair  an  old  nest  for  a  second  brood,  as  they  some- 
times do  for  their  first.  Their  nest,  when  finished,  is  a  large 
structure  of  sticks  (from  eighteen  to  thirty  inches  in  diameter), 
and  is  commonly  lined  with  small  branches  of  hemlock,  or 
with  tree-moss.  It  may  be  found  in  rather  secluded  or  unfre- 
quented woods  and  pine-groves,  particularly  those  which  con- 


362  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

tain  swamps,  brooks,  or  ponds.  It  is  placed  next  to  the  trunk 
of  a  pine,  or  sometimes  an  oak,  from  fifteen  to  seventy-five  feet 
above  the  ground.  It  is  seldom  built  in  a  young  tree,  or  in 
one  at  all  isolated,  and  is  rarely  concealed  by  surrounding  foli- 
age. Near  Boston  it  is  finished  between  the  first  week  and 
last  day  of  April,  and  two,  three,  or  four  eggs,  are  then  laid. 
These  often  exhibit  great  variation,  even  when  taken  from  the 
same  nest.  Though  varying  in  size  and  shape,  some  being 
elongated,  or  somewhat  pointed  at  the  smaller  end,  the}'  aver- 
age about  2-20  X  1*70  of  an  inch.  From  a  series  in  my  cabi- 
net, recently  collected  near  Boston,  the  following  descriptions 
are  taken.  (1)  White,  evenly  blotched  and  spotted  with  lilac. 
(2)  White,  evenly  but  coarsely  marked  with  a  pretty  reddish 
brown.  (3)  White,  with  a  few  thin  and  vague  markings  of 
chocolate.  (4)  Dirty  white,  not  appreciably  marked.  (5) 
Dirty  white,  with  a  very  few  fine  scrawls  at  the  smaller  end. 
(6)  Dirty  white,  blotched  at  the  smaller  end  with  umber.  (7) 
Dirty  white,  clouded  at  the  smaller  end  with  several  shades  of 
brown.  (8)  Dirty  white,  fadedly  blotched,  chiefly  at  the 
smaller  end.  (9)  Impure  white,  blotched  with  faint  reddish 
brown  chiefly  at  the  smaller  end,  and  with  a  few  dark  mark- 
ings. (10)  Dirty  white,  faintly  blotched  all  over,  but  with  a 
few  chocolate  spots.  (11)  Dirty  white,  blotched  faintly  with 
purplish  and  reddish  brown,  but  with  dark  blotches  on  the 
crown.  (12)  Impure  white,  with  a  ring  of  reddish  brown 
blotches  about  the  crown.  Some  specimens  have  reddish  or 
buflfy  ground-colors,  and  others  are  marked  but  little  and 
faintly,  or  with  a  few  isolated  blotches. 

There  is  no  salient  point  of  difference  between  these  eggs 
and  those  of  the  "  Red-tail,"  of  which  several  are  now  before 
me. 

(c).  The  Red-shouldered  Buzzards,  so  far  as  I  have  ob- 
served, are  the  commonest  hawks  near  Boston,  where  they  are 
resident  throughout  the  year.  They  breed  from  Florida  nearly 
to  Hudson's  Bay.  Their  range  is  therefore  much  less  exten- 
sive than  that  of  the  "  Red-tails,"  but  their  habits  and  man- 
ners are  very  similar.  The  following  biography  is  applicable 


OF   NEW    ENGLAND.  3C3 

partly  to  both  species,  sometimes  to  one  more  than  another, 
but  it  may  be  remarked  that  the  "  Red-tail"  is  more  robust, 
spirited,  and  majestic. 

The  "  Hen  Hawks,"  and  their  immediate  relations,  are  best 
characterized  by  their  flight  and  mode  of  hunting.  Sometimes, 
propelled  by  an  occasional  and  slight  motion  of  the  wings, 
they  sail  in  circles  to  a  great  height,  and,  if  favored  by  a 
breeze,  even  rise  until  lost  to  sight,  without  any  perceptible 
exercise  of  muscular  power.  Again,  they  often  circle  without 
ascending,  though  at  a  considerable  distance  from  the  ground. 
Thus  the  range  of  their  vision  is  much  extended,  while  the 
keenness  of  their  sight  enables  them  to  detect  the  motion  of  a 
squirrel  in  the  trees,  or  of  birds  and  snakes  in  the  open  lands 
over  which  they  more  often  fly.  On  perceiving  the  object  of 
their  search,  closing  their  wings  and  tail,  they  fall  with  a  loud 
rustle  until  near  the  earth,  when,  checking  their  speed,  they 
drop  unawares  upon  their  victim.  Should  they  fail,  they  rise, 
and  in  a  second  attempt  it  frequently  happens  that  not  even 
the  cunning  Quail  can  escape.  They  sometimes  fly  lower,  with 
more  or  less  sailing,  according  to  the  breeze  or  motion  in  the 
air,  and,  diving  down,  seize  a  chicken,  or  even  a  hen,  and  bear 
it  off  with  apparent  ease.  At  other  times,  they  perch  in  a  tree 
in  their  hunting-grounds,  and  with  an  eager,  intent  expression, 
\vatch  closely  the  surrounding  grass,  down  into  which  they 
drop  when  occasion  requires,  or  over  which  they  again  sail, 
instantly  checking  their  course  and  again  alighting,  should 
anything  attract  their  attention.  Then  facing  about,  they  wait 
until  an  opportune  moment,  when,  spreading  their  wings  and 
for  an  instant  hovering,  they  pounce  upon  their  prey.  They 
rarely  catch  birds  on  the  wing,  and  never,  so  far  as  I  know, 
pursue  them.  On  the  contrary,  if  undisturbed,  they  sometimes 
remain  perched  for  hours,  either  waiting  for  the  appearance  of 
game,  or  digesting  a  meal.  In  the  woods,  they  not  unfrequently 
catch  squirrels,  diving  at  them  when  in  some  exposed  situation. 
They  usually  sail  up  to  their  perch,  and  stand  erectly,  often 
far  above  the  ground. 

Their  ordinary  fare  is  composed  of  hares,  often  called  "  rab- 


364  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

bits,"  squirrels,  minks,  rarely  rats  or  mice,  snaJces  (especially 
the  striped  kind  or  garter-snake),  frogs,  grouse,  quail,  and 
poultry.  They  do  not,  however,  often  catch  our  so-called  par- 
tridges, owing  to  the  latter's  rapid  flight  and  rather  persistent 
occupation  of  the  woods,  and  it  is  not  uncommon  to  find  these 
game-birds  in  groves  where  the  "  Hen  Hawks"  have  their  nest. 

It  may  be  said  that  the  natural  home  of  the  "  Hen  Hawks  " 
is  the  woods  (in  our  climate,  particularly  those  of  old  pines, 
and  such  as  are  somewhat  swamp}7),  but  it  must  be  added  that 
during  the  day  they  are  much  away  from  home.  Their  favorite 
hunting-grounds  are  open  places,  especially  farms  and  mead- 
ows, but  there  are  few  kinds  of  land  over  which  they  do  not 
fly,  including  even  our  smaller  cities.  Occasionally  they  may 
be  seen  in  roads  or  perched  on  roadsides. 

Towards  man  the  "  Hen  Hawks  "  are  naturally  shy,  though 
it  is  generally  eas}"  to  approach  them  when  gorged,  or  at  other 
times  to  do  so  in  a  vehicle,  or  on  horse-back.  By  this  latter 
means,  I  have  actually  passed  under  one.  They  frequently 
leave  their  food  when  approached,  instead  of  carrying  it  off  in 
the  manner  of  many  hawks.  Like  other  barbarians,  they  re- 
fuse to  show  signs  of  suffering,  or  to  allow  their  spirit  to 
become  subdued,  when  shot  and  mortally  wounded,  they 
usually  sail  on  unconcernedly  while  their  strength  lasts,  until 
obliged  to  fall.  If  not  dead,  they  turn  upon  their  rump, 
and  fight  till  the  last,  like  others  of  their  tribe.  Their  eyes 
gleam  savagely,  and  they  defend  themselves  with  both  bill  and 
talons.  With  these  latter  they  can  inflict  severe  wounds,  if 
incautiously  treated,  and  they  sometimes  seize  a  stick  with 
such  tenacity  that  I  have  seen  one  carried  half  a  mile  through 
his  persistent  grasp.  I  have  never  known  one  to  be  tamed, 
but,  on  the  contrary,  they  sometimes  die  from  refusing  to  eat. 
This  is  in  accordance  with  their  natural  pride,  and  their  fond- 
ness for  a  wild  life. 

In  autumn  and  winter  the  "  Hen  Hawks"  lead  a  solita^  life, 
but  in  summer,  and  more  often  spring,  they  may  be  seen  in 
pairs.  They  then  hunt  together,  or  sail  high  i'n  circles,  as  if 
to  remove  themselves  from  the  common  crowd  of  birds.  Un- 


OF    NEW    ENGLAND.  365 

less  very  seriously  molested,  they  build  their  nest  every  year 
in  nearly  the  same  place.  The  females  vary  as  regards  cour- 
age or  prudence,  some  leaving  their  nest  on  hearing  one's 
approach,  others  waiting  till  the  tree  is  rapped,  and  others 
until  one  has  begun  to  climb  or  has  even  ascended  several 
feet.  I  have  never  known  them  to  attack  man,  when  thus 
disturbed.  The  young  are  fed  for  several  weeks  after  being 
hatched,  and  are  often  noisy. 

(d).  The  screams  of  our  two  u  Hen  Hawks"  do  not  materi- 
ally differ,  if  at  all.  They  are  slightly  prolonged,  and  are 
usually  repeated  several  times  at  once,  as  kee-o,  kee-o,  kee-o. 
They  are  frequently  heard,  especially  in  spring,  but  are  exactly 
imitated  by  the  Blue  Jays. 

(C)  PENNSYLVANICUS.     Broad-winged  Hawk  (or  Buzzard). 

(To  be  seen  in  Massachusetts  during  summer,  and  occasion- 
ally winter,  but  more  common  as  a  migrant.) 

(a).  Eighteen  inches  long  or  less.  Above,  umber-brown, 
with  more  or  less  pale  Edging,  and  showing  white  on  the  hind- 
head.  Tail  banded  and  tipped  with  white.  Under  parts, 
white,  variously  streaked  and  barred  with  spots  of  medium  or 
rufous  brown,  of  which  traces  are  often  found  above.  Throat 
bordered  on  each  side  by  a  dark  maxillary  patch.  Young  with 
much  white  above,  but  that  of  the  tail  replaced  by  light  brown. 

This  species,  like  the  other  buzzards,  has  the  outer  primary 
(and  others)  emarginate,  i.  e.  with  the  inner  web  rather  ab- 
ruptly narrow  towards  the  end.  This  buzzard  has  three,  our 
others  four  emarginate. 

(b).  The  nest  does  not  essentially  differ,  so  far  as  I  know, 
from  that  of  the  Red-shouldered  Hawk.  An  egg,  which  I  took 
from  a  nest  with  three  young,  found  near  Boston  on  the  six- 
teenth of  May,  measures  2-10  X  1'80  of  an  inch,  and  is  white, 
blotched  and  spotted  with  brown,  chiefly  of  a  purplish  shade. 

(c).  The  Broad-winged  Buzzards  are  reported  as  common 
summer-residents  in  many  parts  of  northern  New  England. 
In  Massachusetts,  they  are  most  common  as  migrants,  but  I 
have  seen  one  in  winter,  and  have  found  two  nests  near  Boston, 


3G6  LAND-BIRDS    AND    G4OIE-BIRDS 

in  neither  of  which  cases  did  the  female  offer  any  resistance, 
though  Mr.  Boardman  considers  them  so  spirited  as  to  attack 
intruders.  Dr.  Brewer,  in  the  "Birds  of  North  America," 
says:  "  Mr.  Mcllwraith,  of  Hamilton,  Canada,  has  noted  ex- 
tensive migrations  of  this  Hawk  in  March  of  different  years, 
as  many  as  twent}T  or  thirty  being  in  view  at  one  time,  passing 
at  a  considerable  height,  and  moving  in  circles  towards  the 
north-west."  These  Buzzards,  though  readily  distinguished 
by  size  from  the  "  Hen  Hawks,"  do  not  differ  much  in  habits. 
In  common  with  those  birds,  they  are  often  teased  by  King- 
birds and  Crows,  but  on  such  occasions  they  show  a  quiet  dig- 
nity and  unconcern,  which  is  veiy  striking. 

(d).  The  Broad-winged  Hawks  have  a  loud,  whining  whistle, 
not  unlike  the  familiar  cries  of  the  "Hen  Hawks."  These  may 
most  often  be  heard  in  spring. 

VI.   ARCHIBUTEO 

(A)  LAGOPUS  (var.  SANCTI-JOHANNIS) .  Rough-legged  Hawk 
(or  Buzzard).  Black  Hawk. 

(In  Massachusetts,  a  winter-visitor  of  great  rarity.) 

(a).  Tarsus  feathered  to  the  toes.  Extreme  length,  about 
two  feet.  Above,  marked  with  various  browns  and  white  (or 
yellowish).  Tail  black-banded,  but  with  the  basal  half  white 
and  unmarked.  Under  parts,  white,  variously  marked  with 
brown,  which  generally  forms  a  broad  band  across  the  lower 
breast.  There  is  a  so-called  melanotic  race,  with  the  plumage 
nearly  uniform  black  or  blackish,  but  with  the  forehead  (throat), 
and  more  or  less  banding  on  the  tail,  white.  This  is  the  Black 
Hawk,  supposed  by  some  writers  to  be  the  adult  of  the  other. 

(b).  The  eggs,  as  described  by  other  authors,  do  not  appar- 
ently differ  from  certain  forms,  found  among  those  of  the 
"  Hen  Hawks."  See  V,  B,  b. 

(c).  The  Rough-legged  Buzzards  occur  in  New  England  as 
winter-visitors  only,  and  near  Boston  are  rare,  especially  in 
black  plumage.  The}^  are  noted  for  the  following  traits  :  gen- 
eral sluggishness,  fondness  for  hunting  in  the  evening  or  toward 
dusk,  fondness  for  meadows,  marshes,  and  low,  wet  lands,  and 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  367 

finallj'  the  simplicity  of  their  fare,  which  consists  chiefly  of  frogs 
and  mice,  but  also,  it  is  said,  of  wounded  birds.  They  usually 
remain  perched  in  their  chosen  haunts,  regardless  of  weather, 
until  some  small  quadruped  attracts  their  notice,  when,  with 
the  impulse  received  from  a  few  beats  of  their  wings,  they  drop 
down  upon  their  prey.  They  may  sometimes  be  seen  sailing 
about  with  great  ease  and  but  little  motion  of  the  wings.  They 
often  stand  motionless  for  a  surprising  length  of  time.  I  re- 
member passing  over  the  Boston  and  Providence  Rail-road  in 
March,  and  remarking,  at  about  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
a  hawk  of  this  species  stationed  on  the  Fowl  Meadows  beyond 
Readville.  On  returning,  toward  sunset,  I  saw  him  in  the 
same  tree,  though  it  is  probable  that  he  had  made  several  sallies 
during  the  day.  Such  is  the  characteristic  life  of  the  Rough- 
legged  Buzzards,  but,  in  so  cold  a  winter-climate  as  that  of 
Boston,  Ihey  are  frequently  obliged  to  resort  to  woods  and 
higher  grounds.  I  have  seen  one  catch  a  squirrel,  and  another 
feed  upon  a  Quail. 

(cZ).  Wilson  speaks  of  their  "making  a  loud  squeeling  as 
they  arise,  something  resembling  the  neighing  of  a  young  colt ; 
tho  in  a  more  shrill  and  savage  tone."  Dr.  Cooper  speaks 
of  their  "loud  scream." 

VII.   AQUILA 

(A)  CIIUYSAETUS  (var.  CANADENSIS).  Golden  Eagle.  Ring- 
tailed  Eagle  (young). 

(In  Massachusetts,  extremely  rare.) 

(a).  30-40  inches  long.  Tarsus  thickly  feathered.  Dark 
brown,  varying  from  purplish  to  blackish,  becoming  rich  ful- 
vous on  the  hind-head  and  neck.  Young,  with  the  tail  partly 
white. 

(6).  The  nest  is  built  on  cliffs,  or  rarely  in  trees.  The  eggs 
are  most  often  two  in  number,  and  are  three  inches  long  or 
more.  They  are  white,  usually  blotched  with  brown.6 


c This  description,  as  one  or  two  of  the  others,  is  gathered  from  those  of 
other  writers. 


368  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

(c).  Size  has  always  a  fascination  for  the  world,  The  }*onng 
collector  prizes  a  hawk's  egg  more  than  that  of  the  rarest 
warbler.  The  egg  is  big,  the  bird  that  laid  it  is  big,  the  nest 
in  which  it  was  laid  is  big,  the  tree  in  which  the  nest  was  built 
is  big,  and  the  wood  in  which  the  tree  grows  is  big.  In  much 
the  same  spirit,  the  world  has  called  the  eagle  and  lion  king 
respectively  of  birds  and  beasts,  on  account  of  their  large  size 
and  carnivorous  tastes.  But  modern  writers  have  assured  us 
that  the  lion  is  not  a  hero,  that  he  is  even  a  coward,  that  he 
does  not  deserve  his  title,  which  might  better  be  bestowed 
upon  the ,  Royal  Bengal  Tiger.  The  eagle,  however,  though 
inferior  in  activity,  speed,  and  spirit,  to  the  little  Sparrow 
Hawk,  better  merits  the  distinction,  from  the  majesty  of  his 
appearance  and  the  sublimity  of  his  flight.  But  he  cannot 
justly  be  considered  superior  to  all  other  birds,  since  he  is 
merely  a  large  "  hen  hawk,"  who  does  not  hesitate  in  many 
cases  to  feed  on  carrion  or  on  the  spoils  which  he  robs  from 
more  industrious  laborers  than  himself. 

The  Golden  Eagles  are  extremely  rare  in  Massachusetts,  and 
are  probably  to  be  ranked  as  merely  accidental  winter-visitors. 
They  are  resident  in  mountainous  and  thinly  populated  districts 
of  northern  and  possibly  western  New  England.  9  Mr.  Brewster 
says  that  "  a  pair  have  bred  for  years  on  the  cliff  directly  over 
the  Profile  House.  They  could  be  seen  at  almost  any  hour  of 
the  day  scaling  about  their  eyrie,  uttering  loud  screams,  but 
were  especially  noisy  and  active  from  sunset  to  dark." 

The  Golden  Eag'es  are  so  averse  to  the  encroachments  of 
man,  that  I  can  find  no  mention  of  their  being  common  in  any 
much  inhabited  district,  but  the  immense  tracts  of  forest,  and 
the  high  mountain-ranges,  in  their  usual  haunts,  enable  them  to 
live  remote  from  civilization.  I  have  occasionally  seen  them 
among  the  White  Mountains.  They  may  sometimes  be  ob- 
served sailing  at  a  vast  height  in  wide  circles,  but  with  no  per- 
ceptible effort.  I  have  watched  them  for  hours,  but  only  once 
have  I  seen  them  plunge.  One,  who  had  been  sailing  for  a 
long  while  at  the  elevation  of  several  hundred  feet,  suddenly 
closed  his  wings  and  dropped  with  astounding  velocity,  which 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  369 

might  well  take  one's  breath  away.  In  his  fall  he  disappeared 
behind  some  woods,  and  I  did  not  see  him  again.  The  keen- 
ness of  vision  which  this  species  must  possess  is  wonderful, 
but  at  how  great  a  height  they  can  distinctly  perceive  their 
prey  is  uncertain.  I  have  seen  one  sail  at  some  distance  above 
the  peak  of  Mount  Lafayette,  at  least  a  mile  above  the  sea- 
level,  and,  on  crossing  a  valley  beneath,  suddenly  descend,  as 
if  his  attention  had  been  attracted  by  an  object  four  thousand 
feet  beneath.  Could  man  from  the  top  of  a  monument  twenty 
times  as  high  as  that  of  Bunker  Hill  distinctly  see  a  cat  di- 
rectly beneath,  or  a  fawn  at  the  distance  of  two  or  three  miles, 
even  if  not  running  through  grass  or  woods  ?  Yet  man  might 
distinctly  see  and  recognize  a  tolerably  small  quadruped  at  the 
distance  of  a  mile  in  a  clear,  level  space,  whence  it  seems 
possible  that  the  powers  of  horizontal  and  perpendicular  vision 
are  somewhat  distinct,  even  when  the  same  surface  of  a  body 
is  seen.  Audubon  says^  of  these  birds  that  "  }7oung  fawns, 
racoons,  hares,  wild  turkeys,  and  other  large  birds,  are  their 
usual  food,  and  they  devour  putrid  flesh  only  when  hard  pressed 
by  hunger,  none  alighting  on  carrion  at  any  other  time." 

(rf).  The  screams  of  the  Golden  Eagle  are  loud,  harsh,  and 
rather  savage,  "  resembling  at  times,"  says  Audubon,  "  the 
barking  of  a  dog,  especially  about  the  breeding  season,  when 
they  become  extremely  noisy  and  turbulent,  *  *  *  ." 

VIII.   HALIAKTUS 

(A)  LEUCOCEPHALUS.  "  Bald  "  Eagle.  White-headed  Eagle. 
"Bird  of  Washington." 

(In  some  parts  of  New  England  not  uncommon.) 

(a).  30-40  inches  long.  Tarsus  naked.  Dark  brown.  Head, 
tail,  and  tail-coverts,  white.  Young  with  little  or  no  white. 

(b).   The  nest  is  much  like  that  of  the  Fish  Hawk  in  every  ' 
respect.     It  is  often,  however,  "partly  composed  of  sods,  and 
is  commonly  built  in  the  top  of  a  dead  tree."     The  eggs,  most 
often  two  in  number,  are  laid  in  the  early  part  of  spring,  or 
even  in  winter.     They  are  nearly  three  inches  long,  or  more, 
and  are  impure  white  or  yellowish. 
25 


370  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

(c).  The  "Bald"  Eagles,  unfortunately  selected  as  emblems 
of  their  country,  are  residents,  at  least  in  summer,  from  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico  to  the  Arctic  Ocean.  They  are  common  in 
many  parts  of  northern  New  England,  particularly  along  the 
coast  of  Maine.  In  Massachusetts,  they  no  longer  breed,  ex- 
cept in  a  few  places  to  the  westward,  but  they  occasionally 
appear  along  the  shore,  even  in  summer,  when  they  undoubt- 
edly often  wander  far  in  search  of  food.  Wilson's  picture  of 
this  bird  is  in  spirit  one  of  the  finest  portrait-paintings  from 
nature,  which  it  has  ever  been  my  good  fortune  to  see,  and,  as 
his  biography  is  scarcely  less  admirable,  I  shall  quote  several 
passages  from  it,  adding  a  few  observations  not  there  recorded. 

u  This  bird  has  been  long  known  to  naturalists,  being 
common  to  both  continents,  and  occasionally  met  with  from 
a  veiy  high  northern  latitude,  to  the  borders  of  the  torrid  zone, 
but  chiefly  in  the  vicinity  of  the  sea,  and  along  the  shores  and 
cliffs  of  our  lakes  and  large  rivers.  Formed  by  nature  for 
braving  the  severest  cold ;  feeding  equally  on  the  produce  of 
the  sea,  and  of  the  land ;  possessing  powers  of  flight  capable 
of  outstripping  even  the  tempests  themselves  ;  unawed  by  any- 
thing but  man ;  and  from  the  ethereal  heights  to  which  he 
soars,  looking  abroad,  at  one  glance,  on  an  immeasurable  ex- 
panse of  forests,  fields,  lakes  and  ocean,  deep  below  him,  he 
appears  indifferent  to  the  little  localities  of  change  of  seasons  ; 
as  in  a  few  minutes  he  can  pass  from  summer  to  winter,  from  the 
lower  to  the  higher  regions  of  the  atmosphere,  the  abode  of  eter- 
nal cold,  and  from  thence  descend  at  will  to  the  torrid  or  the 
arctic  regions  of  the  earth.  He  is  therefore  found  at  all  sea- 
sons in  the  countries  he  inhabits  ;  but  prefers  such  places  as  have 
been  mentioned  above,  from  the  great  partiality  he  has  for  fish. 

"  In  procuring  these  he  displays,  in  a  very  singular  manner, 
the  genius  and  energy  of  his  character,  which  is  fierce,  con- 
templative, daring  and  tyrannical ;  attributes  not  exerted  but 
on  particular  occasions ;  but  when  put  forth,  overpowering  all 
opposition.  Elevated  on  the  high  dead  lirnb  of  some  gigantic' 
tree  that  commands  a  wide  view  of  the  neighboring  shore  and 
ocean,  he  seems  calmly  to  contemplate  the  motions  of  the  vari- 
ous feathered  tribes  that  pursue  their  busy  avocations  below 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  371 

the  snow  white  Gulls  slowly  winnowing  the  air;  the  busy 
Tringae  coursing  along  the  sands ;  trains  of  Ducks  streaming 
over  the  surface ;  silent  and  watchful  Cranes,  intent  and  wa- 
ding ;  clamorous  Crows,  and  all  the  winged  multitudes  that 
subsist  by  the  bounty  of  this  vast  liquid  magazine  of  nature. 
High  over  all  these  hovers  one,  whose  action  instantly  arrests 
all  his  attention.  B}r  his  wide  curvature  of  wing,  and  sudden 
suspension  in  the  air,  he  knows  him  to  be  the  Fish-Hawk, 
settling  over  some  devoted  victim  of  the  deep.  His  eye  kin- 
dles at  the  sight,  and  balancing  himself,  with  half  opened 
wings,  on  the  branch,  he  watches  the  result.  Down,  rapid  as 
an  arrow  from  heaven,  descends  the  distant  object  of  his  atten- 
tion, the  roar  of  its  wings  reaching  his  ear  as  it  disappears  in 
the  deep,  making  the  surges  foam  around  !  At  this  moment 
the  eager  looks  of  the  Eagle  are  all  ardor ;  and  levelling  his 
neck  for  flight,  he  sees  the  Fish-Hawk  once  more  emerge, 
struggling  with  his  prey,  and  mounting  in  the  air  with  screams 
of  exultation.  These  are  the  signal  for  our  hero,  who,  launch- 
ing into  the  air,  instantly  gives  chace,  soon  gains  on  the  Fish- 
Hawk,  each  exerts  his  utmost  to  mount  above  the  other,  dis- 
playing in  these  rencontres  the  most  elegant  and  sublime  aerial 
evolutions.  The  unincumbered  Eagle  rapid ljr  advances,  and  is 
just  on  the  point  of  reaching  his  opponent,  when  with  a  sudden 
scream  probably  of  despair  and  honest  execration,  the  latter 
drops  his  fish  ;  the  Eagle  poising  himself  for  a  moment,  as  if  to 
take  a  .more  certain  aim,  descends  like  a  whirlwind,  snatches 
it  in  his  grasp  ere  it  reaches  the  water,  and  bears  his  ill-gotten 
booty  silently  away  to  the  woods." 

"  When  driven,  as  he  sometimes  is,  by  the  combined  courage 
and  perseverance  of  the  Fish-Hawks  from  their  neighbourhood, 
and  forced  to  hunt  for  himself,  he  retires  more  inland,  in 
search  of  young  pigs,  of  which  he  destroys  great  numbers. 
In  the  lower  parts  of  Virginia  and  North  Carolina,  where  the 
inhabitants  raise  vast  herds  of  those  animals,  complaints  of 
this  kind  are  very  general  against  him.  He  also  destroys 
young  lambs  in  the  early  part  of  spring ;  and  will  sometimes 
attack  old  sickly  sheep,  aiming  furiously  at  their  eyes." 

"  The  appetite  of  the  Bald  Eagle,  tho  habituated  to  long 


372  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

fasting,  is  of  the  most  voracious  and  often  the  most  indelicate 
kind.  Fish,  when  he  can  obtain  them,  are  preferred  to  all 
other  fare.  Young  lambs  and  pigs  are  dainty  morsels,  and 
made  free  with  on  all  favorable  occasions.  Ducks,  Geese, 
Gulls  and  other  sea  fowl,  are  also  seized  with  avidity.  The 
most  putrid  carrion,  when  nothing  better  can  be  had,  is  accept- 
able ;  and  the  collected  groups  of  gormandizing  Vultures,  on 
the  approach  of  this  dignified  personage,  instantly  disperse, 
and  make  way  for  their  master,  waiting  his  departure  in  sullen 
silence,  and  at  a  respectful  distance,  on  the  adjacent  trees." 

"The  flight  of  the  Bald  Eagle,  when  taken  into  considera- 
tion with  the  ardor  and  energy  of  his  character,  is  noble  and 
interesting.  Sometimes  the  human  eye  can  just  discern  him, 
like  a  minute  speck,  moving  in  slow  curvatures  along  the  face 
of  the  heavens,  as  if  reconnoitring  the  earth  at  that  immense  dis- 
tance. Sometimes  he  glides  along  in  a  direct  horizontal  line, 
at  a  vast  height,  with  expanded  and  unmoving  wings,  till  he 
gradually  disappears  in  the  distant  blue  ether.  Seen  gliding  in 
easy  circles  over  the  high  shores  and  mountainous  cliffs  that 
tower  above  the  Hudson  and  Susquehanna,  he  attracts  the  eye 
of  the  intelligent  voyager,  and  adds  great  interest  to  the  scen- 
ery. At  the  great  cataract  of  Niagara,  already  mentioned, 
there  rises  from  the  gulf  into  which  the  falls  of  the  Horse-shoe 
descends,  a  stupendous  column  of  smoke,  or  spray,  reaching 
to  the  heavens,  and  moving  off  in  large  black  clouds,  accord- 
ing to  the  direction  of  the  wind,  forming  a  very  striking  and 
majestic  appearance.  The  Eagles  are  here  seen  sailing  about, 
sometimes  losing  themselves  in  this  thick  column,  and  again 
reappearing  in  another  place,  with  such  ease  and  elegance  of 
motion,  as  renders  the  whole  truly  sublime. 

High  o'er  the  watery  uproar,  silent  seen, 
Sailing  sedate  in  majesty  serene, 
Now  midst  the  sprays  sublimely  lost, 
And  now,  emerging,  down  the  rapids  tost, 
Glides  the  Bald  Eagle,  gazing,  calm  and  slow 
O'er  all  the  horrors  of  the  scene  below; 
Intent  alone  to  sate  himself  with  blood, 
1  From  the  torn  victims  of  the  raging  flood." 

Wilson  elsewhere  says :    "  The  Eagle  is  said  to  live  to  a 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  373 

great  age,  sixty,  eight}',  and  as  some  assert,  one  hundred  years. 
This  circumstance  is  remarkable,  when  we  consider  the  seem- 
ing intemperate  habits  of  the  bird.  Sometimes  fasting, 
through  necessity,  for  several  days,  and  at  other  times  gorging 
itself  with  animal  food  till  its  craw  swells  out  the  plumage  of 
that  part,  forming  a  large  protuberance  on  the  breast." 

The  Bald  Eagles  do  not  invariably  sail  when  ftying,  but  often 
progress  by  a  continuous  beating  of  the  wings.  They  also  oc- 
casionally plunge  through  the  air,  even  doing  so,  it  has  been 
stated,  from  a  height  of  several  thousand  feet,  with  a  loud 
rustle,  which  may  be  heard  at  a  considerable  distance.  Though 
notorious  for  .their  robbing  of  the  Fish  Hawks,  they  sometimes 
condescend  to  fish  for  themselves  in  the  manner  of  those  birds. 
This  fact  I  have  personally  witnessed,  and  it  has  been  corrobo- 
rated by  other  naturalists.  They  also  attack  wild-fowl,  espec- 
ially if  wounded,  and  have  been  known,  on  finding  a  crippled 
Brant,  to  plant  themselves  upon  it,  and,  spreading  their  wings, 
to  sail  to  shore. 

(d):  The  Bald  Eagles  are  usually  silent.  A  yoiing  one, 
which  I  observed  in  confinement,  snored  when  sleeping,  and, 
when  awake,  frequently  hissed  or  uttered  extraordinary  sounds, 
suggestive  of  the  pig-sty,  though  not  unlike  disagreeable  laugh- 
ter. These  are  the  chief  items  of  interest  which  I  can  add  to 
Wilson's  account. 

IX.   PANDION 

(A)  HALIAETUS  (var.  CAROLiNENSis).  Fish  Haivk.  (Ameri- 
can) Osprey. 

(In  New  England,  a  summer-resident,  but  very  rare  in  Mas- 
sachusetts. 

(a).  About  two  feet  long.  Under  parts,  and  the  head,  white. 
Eye-stripe,  and  the  upper  parts,  dark.  Tail,  banded.  Breast, 
spotted  or  streaked  with  brown.  Feet,  large  and  stout,  pre- 
senting, as  does  the  plumage,  certain  peculiarities. 

(6).  The  nest  is  extremely  large,  being  usually  repaired  and 
added  to  from  year  to  year.  It  is  composed  of  sticks,  of  which 
there  is  often  a  cart-load,  and  is  lined  with  sea-weed,  or  other 


374  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

coarse  materials.  It  is  built  in  a  tree,  near  some  body  of 
water,  sometimes  several  being  near  together.  It  is  placed  at 
various  heights  above  the  ground,  but  often  near  the  top,  even 
of  a  dead  tree.  In  New  England,  two,  three,  or  four  eggs  are 
laid  about  the  first  of  May,  or  sometimes  later.  They  average 
2'40  X  1*70  of  an  inch,  and  are  usually  creamy,  buff,  or  red- 
dish, thickly  spotted  and  blotched  with  rich  brown  of  several 
shades,  some  of  which  are  dark  and  others  reddish.  Occasion- 
ally the  eggs  are  white,  with  a  few  large  markings  of  umber- 
brown. 

(c).  The  Fish  Hawks,  like  their  tormentors  the  "Bald" 
Eagles,  are  summer-residents  in  Florida,  Arctic  countries,  and 
the  lands  between,  but,  unlike  them,  are  very  migratory,  and 
do  not  winter  in  New  England,  where  from  April  until  late  in 
the  autumn  they  are  common.  They  are  rare,  however,  in 
Massachusetts,  except  during  the  migrations,  and  are  said  to 
breed  no  longer  along  the  coast  of  this  State,  though  a  few 
undoubtedly  do  so  in  the  interior,  of  which  I  have  had  satis- 
factory evidence.  They  are  everywhere  most  numerous  on  the 
sea-shore  (as  is  observable  in  'Maine),  but  they  also  resort  to 
the  neighborhood  of  rivers  and  large  inland  bodies  of  water. 
They  are  everywhere  characterized  by  their  sociability  and  af- 
fection, their  perseverance  and  industry.  The}r  are  well  known 
frequently  to  migrate  and  build  their  nests  in  companies,  to 
remain  mated  for  life,  and  to  feed  their  young  longer,  even 
more  abundantly,  than  any  other  hawks.  Though  repeatedly 
robbed  by  the  tyrannical  eagles,  they  continue  to  fish  undis- 
heartened,  and  are  said  never  to  feed  in  any  other  way. 

Their  method  of  obtaining  their  prey  is  so  interesting,  that 
were  it  not  known  even  to  children,  from  being  frequently  de- 
scribed in  books,  it  would  daily  excite  wonder.  It  cannot, 
however,  fail  to  hold  the  attention  of  any  one  who  may  see  it 
for  the  first  time,  and  I  have  never  looked  upon  one  of  these 
birds  without  instinctively  watching  his  motions.  The  flight 
of  the  Fish  Hawk  is  much  varied,  but  he  may  always  be  recog- 
nized by  the  prominent  bend  of  his  wings.  When  traveling 
directly  forward,  he  flies  with  rather  heavy  flappings,  not  un- 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  375 

like  those  of  a  heron,  which  are  relieved  by  sailing.  When 
hunting,  he  more  often  moves  in  circles,  and  frequently  at  a 
considerable  height.  He  often  deceives  some  eager  spectator 
by  diving,  as  if  to  make  a  plunge,  but  he  suddenly  resumes 
his  course,  and  continues  to  sail  quietly.  Finally  he  becomes 
absorbed  in  gazing  at  the  movements  of  his  prey ;  then,  hov- 
ering for  a  moment,  plunges  head-long,  and,  disappearing  be- 
neath the  surface,  dashes  up  the  foam.  Sometimes  he  seizes 
so  large  a  prize  that  a  desperate  struggles  ensues,  in  which 
now  the  fish  and  then  the  bird  appears  out  of  his  element,  and 
it  is  said  that  he  occasionally  loses  his  life  through  being  im- 
prudent or  too  ambitious.  Generally,  however,  he  at  once 
rises,  and  with  his  prey  in  his  talons,  flies  to  the  shore,  where, 
if  not  molested  by  robbers,  he  feeds  in  some  tree  upon  his  well 
earned  meal.  He  is  either  no  glutton,  or  has  an  insatiable 
appetite,  for  he  is  seldom  or  never  seen  gorged,  but,  when  not 
eating,  or  necessarily  at  rest,  he  continues  his  active  search. 
I  do  not  know  what  are  the  largest  fish  that  he  catches,  but  I 
have  been  assured  that  one,  which  a  bird  dropped  upon  being 
frightened,  weighed  fully  six  pounds.  The  Fish  Hawks  are 
very  spirited,  and  have  been  known  to  wound  seriously  in- 
truders upon  their  nests,  which,  by  the  way,  they  are  said  by 
Wilson  to  repair  in  autumn  to  withstand  the  winter. 

(d).  Their  notes  are  various,  being  sometimes  piercing 
screams,  but  at  other  times  a  succession  of  agreeable  whistles. 

§  28.  The  American  vultures  (CATHARTIDJE)  have  the 
head  chiefly  naked,  and  the  hind-toe  not  on  a  level  with  the 
others,  which  are  slightly  webbed.  Two  southern  species,  the 
Turkey  "Buzzard"7  (Cathartes  aura)  and  the  Carrion  "Crow" 
(C.  atratus),  have  accidentally  occurred  in  Massachusetts  once 
or  twice.  The  former  is  very  dark ;  "  head  red ;  feet  flesh- 
colored  ;  bill  white.  *  *  *  *  ;  tail  rounded.  Length  about 
2£  feet;  extent  6%;  wing  2;  tail  1.  U.  S.,  from  Atlantic  to 

7  See,  for  authority,  "  The  Naturalists'  Guide,"  of  Mr.  Mayiiard,  p.  137,  IGOth 
species. 


376  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

Pacific,  and  somewhat  northward  ;  abundant  in  more  southern 
portions  ;  resident  as  far  north  as  New  Jersey.  Nests  on  the 
ground,  or  near  it,  in  hollow  stumps  and  logs,  generally  breed- 
ing in  communities ;  eggs  commonly  two,  creamy  white, 
blotched  and  speckled,  2J X  1|."  Coues.  The  Carrion  "  Crow," 
or  Black  Vulture,  has  the  wings  paler  beneath,  and  the  hind- 
head  feathered  ;  "  head  dusky  ;  bill  and  feet  grayish-yellow. 
*  *  *  ;  tail  square.  Smaller  than  aura,  in  linear  dimensions, 
but  a  heavier  bird  ;  length  about  2  feet ;  wing  1£  ;  tail  -§.  The 
difference  in  size  and  shape  between  this  species  and  aura  is 
strikingly  displayed  when  the  birds  are  flying  together,  as  con- 
stantly occurs  in  the  Southern  States ;  there  is  also  a  radical 
difference  in  the  mode  of  flight,  this  species  never  sailing  for 
any  distance  without  flapping  the  wings.  Nesting  the  same  : 
eggs  similar,  but  larger,  or  at  any  rate  more  elongate  ;  3^  X  2. 
Chiefly  South  Atlantic  and  Gulf  States,  there  very  numerous, 
far  outnumbering  the  tuikey  buzzard,  and  semi-domesticated 
in  the  towns ;  N.  regularly  to  North  Carolina,  thence  strag- 
gling even  to  Massachusetts  and  Maine  ;"  etc.  (Coues.) 

As  the  vultures  are  of  wholly  accidental  occurrence  in  New 
England,  and  as  their  more  characteristic  habits  are  well 
known,  I  shall  not  here  present  their  biographies,  which  I 
should  be  obliged  to  borrow  from  other  writers.  Some  remarks 
as  to  their  prominent  peculiarities  have  already  been  presented 
among  those  on  the  birds  of  prey,  at  the  beginning  of  this 
chapter. 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  377 


CHAPTER  IV. 
FIFTH   ORDER. 


"  AN  essential  character,"  says  Dr.  Coues,  "  of  birds  of  this 
order  is  seen  in  the  structure  of  the  bill  :  horny  and  convex 
at  the  tip,  somewhat  contracted  in  the  continuity,  furnished  at 
the  base  with  a  soft  swollen  membrane  in  which  the  nostrils 
open.  There  are  four  toes,  three  anterior,  generally  cleft,  but 
occasionally  with  a  slight  basal  web,  and  one  behind,  with  a 
few  exceptions  perfectly  insistent  or  not  obviously  elevated. 
The  feet  are  never  lengthened  ;  the  tarsus  is  commonly  shorter 
than  the  toes,  either  scutellate  or  extensively  feathered  anteri- 
orly, reticulate  on  the  sides  and  behind,  the  envelope  rather 
membranous  than  corneous.  The  plumage  is  destitute  of  after- 
shafts.  *  *  *  ."  As  this  order  is  in  North  America  repre- 
sented but  by  one  family,  the  well-known  pigeons  (including 
the  doves),  it  is  unnecessary  to  detail  further  its  peculiar 
features.  The  two  species  of  New  England  are  excellent 
t}'pes.  Their  habit,  however,  of  feeding  their  young  by  regur- 
gitation  from  the  crop  may  here  be  remarked. 

The  true  "Game-birds"  (Chapter  V),  all  belong  to  the 
subclass,  Cursores,  or  "  terrestrial  birds,"  and  to  the  two 
orders,  GalUnce  and  Grallatores.  The  Gallince  include  the 
grouse,  with  the  tarsi  more  or  less  feathered,  and  the  par- 
tridges or  quail,  with  naked  tarsi.  Dr.  Coues  ranks  these  as 
subfamilies,  dividing  our  species  into  Tetraonince,  or  true  grouse, 
and  Odontophorince,  or  American  partridges.  The  Grallatores 
include  the  Snipe  and  Woodcock,  who  both  belong  to  the  same 
family  of  the  suborder  Limicolce.  or  shore-birds.  (It  may  be 
added  that  the  Odontophorince,  or  Ortygince,  are  usually  ranked 
as  subfamilies  of  the  Perdicidce,  or  partridges,  while  the  grouse 
are  ranked  separately  as  Tetraonidce.  This  latter  arrangement 
has  been  followed  -in  this  volume.) 

It  is  to  be  remarked  that  the  pigeons  (Columbidce,  §  29) 


378  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

show  an  affinity  in  several  ways  to  the  Raptores,  or  birds  of 
prey,  as  well  as  in  structure  to  the  Gallince. 

I.   ECTOPISTES 

(A)    MIGRATORIUS.      Wild  Pigeon.     Passenger  Pigeon. 

(In  Massachusetts,  most  common  as  a  migrant). 

(a).  About  sixteen  inches  long.  Tail-feathers  twelve.  £ , 
above,  dull-blue  ;  beneath,  dull  red,  paler  behind.  Sides  of 
the  neck  highly  metallic.  Back,  and  part  of  the  wings,  olive- 
tinged.  Shoulders  black-spotted.  Primaries,  and  long  middle 
tail-feathers,  black  (or  dark)  ;  the  former  variously  edged. 
Outer  tail-feathers  white  or  bluish  ;  their  inner  webs  black,  and 
chestnut,  at  the  base.  9  ,  much  duller  above,  and  blue  or  gray 
beneath. 

(6).  The  nest,  a  frail  structure  of  twigs,  is  built  on  some 
branch  in  the  woods.  In  April  or  May,  according  to  latitude, 
one  or  two  eggs  are  laid.  These  are  elliptical,  and  pure  white, 
and  measure  about  1'50  X  1*10  of  an  inch. 

(c).  No  birds  could  more  appropriately  be  chosen  as  em- 
blems of  their  country  than  the  Wild  Pigeons.  They  occur 
throughout  a  large  part  of  North  America,  and  often  in  such 
prodigious  numbers,  that  single  companies  have  been  estimated 
to  contain  fifty  times  as  many  pigeons  as  there  are  now  inhab- 
itants in  the  United  States.  They  wander  almost  continually 
in  search  of  their  food,  which  consists  chiefly  of  grain,  seeds, 
beech-nuts,  acorns,  and  berries.  They  possess  great  power  of 
flight,  and  move  with  a  rapid  beating  of  the  wings  at  the  rate 
of  sixty  miles  an  hour  or  often  more.  On  alighting,  they  flap 
the  wings  violently,  as  if  to  break  the  force  of  their  impetus. 
If  frightened  from  their  roosts  (to  which  they  frequently  resort 
several  nights  in  succession),  the}7"  rise  with  a  loud  roar.  When 
on  the  ground,  they  invariably  walk,  but  with  no  little  grace. 
Many  of  their  habits  may  be  traced  in  those  of  tame  pigeons, 
and  in  the  appearance  of  a  single  individual  there  is  often  a 
striking  analogy  to  that  of  a  hawk.  In  many  places  they  have 
become  comparatively  rare  through  the  excessive  persecution 
of  man,  in  addition  to  the  raids  made  upon  them  by  birds  of 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  379 

prey.  This  is  eminently  the  case  in  New  England,  where  they 
were  once  abundant.  In  summer  they  are  now  chiefly  confined 
to  the  northern  and  wilder  districts,  but  in  winter  they  may 
occasionally  be  seen  in  more  southern  portions.  They  are 
most  abundant  near  Boston  as  migrants  in  April  and  October. 
There  is  a  low  pine-wood  within  the  present  limits  of  the 
city,  in  which  I  have  known  flocks  of  several  hundreds  to  roost 
every  year,  but  I  have  never  known  them  to  be  disturbed. 
The  Wild  Pigeons  are  still  wonderfully  numerous  in  many 
parts  of  the  Western  States,  and  it  was  there  that  Wilson 
made  such  observations  as  can  no  longer  be  repeated  in  any 
place,  where  I  have  seen  these  birds.  Though  toward  the 
latter  end  of  my  work  obliged  to  quote  more  often  than  I  had 
hoped  would  be  necessary,  I  do  not  hesitate  to  present  to  my 
readers  several  extracts  from  Wilson's  extremely  interesting 
biography. 

After  speaking  of  their  range,  he  says:  "But  the  most 
remarkable  characteristic  of  these  birds  is  their  associating 
together,  both  in  their  migrations  and  also  during  the  period 
of  incubation,  in  such  prodigious  numbers  as  almost  to  surpass 
belief ;  and  which  has  no  parallel  among  any  other  of  the  feath- 
ered tribes,  on  the  face  of  the  earth,  with  which  naturalists  are 
acquainted. 

"  These  migrations  appear  to  be  undertaken  rather  in  quest 
of  food,  than  merely  to  avoid  the  cold  of  the  climate  ;  since  we 
find  them  lingering  in  the  northern  regions  around  Hudson's 
Bay  so  late  as  December ;  and  since  their  appearance  is  so 
casual  and  irregular ;  sometimes  not  visiting  certain  districts 
for  several  years  in  any  considerable  numbers,  while  at  other 
times  they  are  innumerable.  I  have  witnessed  these  migra- 
tions in  the  Genessee  Country — often  in  Pennsylvania,  and 
also  in  various  parts  of  Virginia,  with  amazement ;  but  all  that  I 
had  then  seen  of  them  were  mere  straggling  parties,  when 
compared  with  the  congregated  millions  which  I  have  since  be- 
held in  our  western  forests,  in  the  States  of  Ohio,  Kentucky, 
and  the  Indiana  territory.  These  fertile  and  extensive  regions 
abound  with  the  nutritious  beech  nut,  which  constitutes  the 


380  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

chief  food  of  the  Wild  Pigeon.  In  seasons  when  these  nuts 
are  abundant,  corresponding  multitudes  of  Pigeons  may  be 
confidently  expected.  It  sometimes  happens  that  having  con- 
sumed the  whole  produce  of  the  beech  trees  in  an  extensive 
district,  they  discover  another  at  a  distance  perhaps  of  sixty 
or  eighty  miles,  to  which  they  regularly  repair  every  morning, 
and  return  as  regularly  in  the  course  of  the  day,  or  in  the 
evening,  to  their  general  place  of  rendezvous,  or  as  it  is  usually 
called,  the  roosting  place.  These  roosting  places  are  always  in 
the  woods,  and  sometimes  occupy  a  large  extent  of  forest. 
When  they  have  frequented  one  of  these  places  for  some  time 
the  appearance  it  exhibits  is  surprising.  The  ground  is  covered 
to  the  depth  of  several  inches  with  their  dung ;  all  the  tender 
grass  and  underwood  destroyed  ;  the  surface  strewed  with  large 
limbs  of  trees  broken  down  by  the  weight  of  the  birds  cluster- 
ing one  above  another  ;  and  the  trees  themselves,  for  thousands 
of  acres,  killed  as  completely  as  if  girdled  with  an  axe.  The 
marks  of  this  desolation  remain  for  many  years  on  the  spot ; 
and  numerous  places  could  be  pointed  out  where  for  several 
years  after  scarce  a  single  vegetable  made  its  appearance." 

In  speaking  of  their  breeding-places,  Wilson  sa}Ts  :  "In  the 
western  countries  above  mentioned,  these  are  generally  in  beech 
woods,  and  often  extend  in  nearly  a  straight  line  across  the 
country  for  a  great  wa3r.  Not  far  from  Shelbyville  in  the  state 
of  Kentucky,  about  five  years  ago,  there  was  one  of  these 
breeding  places,  which  stretched  through  the  woods  in  nearly 
a  north  and  south  direction ;  was  several  miles  in  breadth,  and 
was  said  to  be  upwards  of  forty  miles  in  extent !  In  this  tract 
almost  every  tree  was  furnished  with  nests,  wherever  the 
branches  could  accommodate  them.  The  Pigeons  made  their 
first  appearance  there  about  the  tenth  of  April,  and  left  it  alto- 
gether, with  their  young,  before  the  twenty-fifth  of  May. 

"As  soon  as  the  young  were  fully  grown,  and  before  they  left 
their  nests,  numerous  parties  of  the  inhabitants,  from  all  parts  of 
the  adjacent  country,  came  with  waggons,  axes,  beds,  cooking 
utensils,  many  of  them  accompanied  by  the  greater  part  of 
their  families,  and  encamped  for  several  days  at  this  immense 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  381 

nursery.  Several  of  them  informed  me,  that  the  noise  in  the 
•woods  was  so  great  as  to  terrify  their  horses,  and  that  it  was 
difficult  for  one  person  to  hear  another  speak  without  bawling 
in  his  ear.  The  ground  was  strewed  with  broken  limbs  of  trees, 
eggs,  and  young  squab  Pigeons,  which  had  been  precipitated 
from  above,  and  on  which  herds  of  hogs  were  fattening.  Hawks, 
Buzzards  and  Eagles  were  sailing  about  in  great  numbers,  and 
seizing  the  squabs  from  their  nests  at  pleasure ;  while  from 
twenty  feet  upwards  to  the  tops  of  the  trees  the  view  through 
the  woods  presented  a  perpetual  tumult  of  crowding  and  flut- 
tering multitudes  of  pigeons,  their  wings  roaring  like  thunder ; 
mingled  with  the  frequent  crash  of  falling  timber ;  for  now  the 
axe-men  were  at  work  cutting  down  those  trees  that  seemed 
to  be  most  crowded  with  nests,  and  contrived  to  fell  them  in 
such  a  manner,  that  in  their  descent  they  might  bring  down 
several  others ;  by  which  means  the  falling  of  one  large  tree 
sometimes  produced  two  hundred  squabs,  little  inferior  in  size 
to  the  old  ones,  and  almost  one  mass  of  fat.  On  some  single 
trees  upwards  of  one  hundred  nests  were  found,  each  contain- 
ing one  young  only,  a  circumstance  in  the  history  of  this  bird 
not  generally  known  to  naturalists.  It  was  dangerous  to  walk 
under  these  flying  and  fluttering  millions,  from  the  frequent  fall 
of  large  branches,  broken  down  by  the  weight  of  the  multitudes 
above,  and  which  in  their  descent  often  destroyed  numbers  of 
the  birds  themselves  ;  *  *  *." 

"I  had  left  the  public  road  to  visit  the  remains  of  the  breed- 
ing place  near  Shelbyville,  and  was  traversing  the  woods  with 
my  gun,  on  my  way  to  Frankfort,  when  about  one  o'clock  the 
Pigeons,  which  I  had  observed  flying  the  greater  part  of  the 
morning  northerly,  began  to  return  in  such  immense  numbers 
as  I  never  before  had  witnessed.  Coming  to  an  opening  by  a 
side  of  a  creek  called  the  Benson,  where  I  had  a  more  uninter- 
rupted view,  I  was  astonished  at  their  appearance.  They  were 
ftying  with  great  steadiness  and  rapidity,  at  a  height  beyond 
gun  shot,  in  several  strata  deep,  and  so  close  together  that 
could  shot  have  reached  them,  one  discharge  could  not  have 
failed  of  bringing  down  several  individuals.  From  right  to  left 


382  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  the  breadth  of  this  vast  procession 
extended  ;  seeming  everywhere  equally  crowded.  Curious  to 
determine  how  long  this  appearance  would  continue,  I  took  out 
my  watch  to  note  the  time,  and  sat  down  to  observe  them.  It 
was- then  half  past  one.  I  sat  for  more  than  an  hour,  but  in- 
stead of  a  diminution  of  this  prodigious  procession,  it  seemed 
rather  to  increase  both  in  numbers  and  rapidity ;  and,  anxious 
to  reach  Frankfort  before  night,  I  rose  and  went  on.  About 
four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  I  crossed  the  Kentucky  river,  at 
the  town  of  Frankfort,  at  which  time  the  living  torrent  above 
my  head  seemed  as  numerous  and  as  extensive  as  ever.  Long 
after  this  I  observed  them,  in  large  bodies  that  continued  to 
pass  for  six  or  eight  minutes,  and  these  again  were  followed  by 
other  detached  bodies,  all  moving  in  the  same  south-east  direc- 
tion till  after  six  in  the  evening." 

"*  *  *  To  form  a  rough  estimate  of  the  daily  consumption 
of  one  of  these  immense  flocks,  let  us  first  attempt  to  calculate 
the  numbers  of  that  above  mentioned  as  seen  in  passing  between 
Frankfort  and  Indiana  territory.  If  we  suppose  this  column 
to  have  been  a  mile  in  breadth  (and  I  believe  it  to  have  been 
much  more)  and  that  it  moved  at  the  rate  of  one  mile  in  a 
minute ;  four  hours,  the  time  it  continued  passing,  would  make 
its  whole  length  two  hundred  and  forty  miles.  Again,  suppos- 
ing that  each  square  yard  of  this  moving  body  comprehended 
three  Pigeons  ;  the  square  yards  in  the  whole  space  multiplied 
by  three,  would  give  two  thousand  two  hundred  and  thirty 
millions,  two  hundred  and  seventy-two  thousand  pigeons  !  An 
almost  inconceivable  multitude,  and  yet  probably  far  below  the 
actual  amount.  Computing  each  of  these  to  consume  half  a 
pint  of  mast  daily,  the  whole  quantity  at  this  rate  would  equal 
seventeen  millions,  four  hundred  and  twenty-four  thousand 
bushels  per  clay !  Heaven  has  wisely  and  graciously  given  to 
these  birds  rapidity  of  flight  arid  a  disposition  to  range  over 
vast  uncultivated  tracts  of  the  earth ;  otherwise  they  must 
have  perished  in  the  districts  where  they  resided,  or  devoured 
up  the  whole  productions  of  agriculture  as  well  as  those  of  the 
forests. 


OF    NEW    ENGLAND.  383 

"A  few  observations  on  the  mode  of  flight  of  these  birds 
must  not  be  omitted.  The  appearance  of  large  detached  bodies 
of  them  in  the  air,  and  the  various  evolutions  they  display,  are 
strikingly  picturesque  and  interesting.  In  descending  the  Ohio 
by  myself  in  the  month  of  February,  I  often  rested  on  my  oars 
to  contemplate  their  aerial  manoeuvres.  A  column,  eight  or 
ten  miles  in  length,  would  appear  from  Kentucky,  high  in  air, 
steering  across  to  Indiana.  The  leaders  of  this  great  body 
would  sometimes  gradually  vary  their  course,  until  it  formed  a 
large  bend  of  more  than  a  mile  in  diameter,  those  behind  trac- 
ing the.  exact  route  of  their  predecessor*.  This  would  continue 
sometimes  long  after  both  extremities  were  beyond  the  reach 
of  sight,  so  that  the  whole  with  its  glittery  undulations,  marked 
a  space  on  the  face  of  the  heavens  resembling  the  windings  of 
a  vast  and  majestic  river.  When  this  bend  became  very  great, 
the  birds,  as  if  sensible  of  the  unnecessary  circuitous  course 
they  were  taking,  suddenly  changed  their  direction,  so  that 
what  was  before  in  column  became  an  immense  front,  straight- 
ening all  its  indentures,  until  it  swept  the  heavens  in  one  vast 
and  infinitely  extended  line.  Other  lesser  bodies  also  united 
with  each  other,  as  they  happened  to  approach,  with  such  ease 
and  elegance  of  evolution,  forming  new  figures,  and  varying 
these  as  they  united  or  separated  that  I  was  never  tired  of  con- 
templating them.  Sometimes  a  Hawk  would  make  a  sweep  on 
a  particular  part  of  the  column,  from  a  great  height,  when, 
almost  as  quick  as  lightning,  that  part  shot  downwards  out -of 
the  common  track  ;  but  soon  rising  again,  continued  advancing 
at  the  same  height  as  before ;  this  inflection  was  continued  by 
those  behind,  who  on  arriving  at  this  point  dived  down,  almost 
perpendicularly,  to  a  great  depth,  and  rising  followed  the  exact 
path  of  those  that  went  before.  *  *  *." 

u  Happening  to  go  ashore  one  charming  afternoon,  to  pur- 
chase some  milk  at  a  house  that  stood  near  the  river,  and  while 
talking  with  the  people  within  doors,  I  was  suddenly  struck 
with  astonishment  at  a  loud  rushing  roar,  succeeded  by  instant 
darkness,  which,  on  the  first  moment,  I  took  for  a  tornado 
about  to  overwhelm  the  house  and  every  thing  around  in  de- 


384  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

struction.     The  people  observing  my  surprise,  cooll}T  said,  *  It 
is  only  the  Pigeons  ;'  *  *  *  ." 

(d).  The  Wild  Pigeons  have  a  cooing  not  unlike  that  of  the 
domestic  birds.  This  is  a  love-note,  and  may  be  heard  in 
spring.  Audubon  says :  "  The  common  notes  resemble  the 
monosyllables  kee-kee-kee-'kee,  the  first  being  the  loudest,  the 
others  gradually  diminishing  in  power." 

II.   ZEN^EDURA 

(A)  CAROLINENSIS.  Carolina  Dove.  "Turtle  Dove."  Mourn- 
ing Dove. 

(In  New  England,  a  summer-resident.) 

(a).  About  twelve  inches  long.  Tail- feathers  fourteen,  and 
bluish ;  the  outer  ones  singly  black-barred  and  white-tipped. 
Feet  carmine  (and  not  yellow).  Otherwise  essentially  like  the 
Wild  Pigeon  (I),  but  more  brownish,  and  with  a  black  spot  on 
the  side  of  the  head. 

(6).  The  nest  is  a  frail  structure  of  twigs,  built  in  the  woods 
or  sometimes  in  orchards.  Two  white  and  (nearly)  elliptical 
eggs,  measuring  about  1%10  X  '80  of  an  inch,  are  laid  in  May. 

(c).  The  Carolina  Doves  differ  distinctly  from  the  Wild 
Pigeons  in  being  regularly  migratory,  very  much  less  grega- 
rious, only  small  flocks  being  ever  seen  in"  New  England,  in 
not  roosting  closely  together  in  trees,  and  in  flying  with  a  loud 
whistle  of  the  wing,  and  seldom  at  a  great  height.  They  do 
not  occur  to  the  northward  of  Southern  New  England,  where 
they  are  summer-residents  of  great  rarity  in  many  places, 
though  common,  according  to  Mr.  Maynard,  on  Cape  Cod.  I 
have  seen  them  from  March  until  October.  They  frequent 
open  woods  and  grounds,  grain-fields,  pastures,  and  even,  it  is 
said,  barn-yards.  There  they  may  be  seen,  often  in  companies, 
now  walking  sedately,  now  more  rapidty,  and  picking  up  the 
seeds,  grain,  berries,  etc.,  upon  which  they  feed.  Occasionally 
they  alight  on  fences,  and  flirt  their  long  and  handsome  tails.. 
They  are  eminently  affectionate  toward  one  another,  but  toward 
man  they  are  often  shy. 

(d).   Besides  a  low  chuckle,  they  have  a  peculiar  and  very 


OF  NEW   ENGLAND.  385 

striking  cooing,  one  of  the  saddest  sounds  in  nature,  though 
sweet,  and  wholly  inexpressive  of  the  true  feelings  of  the 
doves.  It  usually  consists  of  four  notes,  which  suggest  the 
sobs  and  moans  of  a  most  disconsolate  lover,  or  of  a  person  in. 
the  deepest  distress.  The  briefness  of  this  last  biography  will, 
it  is  hoped,  be  excused.  The  author  approaches  the  end  of  his 
long  though  pleasurable  labors  with  a  certain  feeling  of  eager- 
ness and  relief,  though  glad  to  have  paid  even  a  slight  tribute 
to  nature,  science,  and  the  inauguration  of  a  second  centuiy  in 
the  life  of  his  country,  for,  through  an  unforeseen  coincidence, 
as  he  writes  these  last  words,  the  distant  boom  of  cannon  on 
Boston  Common  announces  the  hundredth  anniversary  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence. 
26 


386  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 


CHAPTER  V. 
THE   GAME-BIRDS.     (SEE  §29.) 

§30.  Tetraonidao.    Grouse. 
I.   TETRAO  (CANACE) 

(A)  CANADENSis.1     Canada  Grouse.     "  Spruce  Partridge." 

(A  resident  of  northern  New  England,  but  in  Massachusetts 
accidental.) 

(a).  About  sixteen  inches  long.  <£,  black;  waved  with  a 
paler  shade  above,  and  extensively  edged  on  the  breast  and 
sides  with  white.  "Eye-brow"  red.  Head  and  wings  with  a 
few  white  markings.  Tail,  usually  of  sixteen  feathers,  and 
broadly  tipped  with  orange-brown.  Brown  markings  sometimes 
occur  elsewhere  in  the  male,  and  in  the  female  are  persistently 
numerous. 

(b).  The  eggs,  which  are  laid  upon  the  ground,  are  described 
by  Mr.  Samuels  as  "  of  a  beautiful  yellowish-buff  color,  with 
spots  and  blotches  of  two  shades  of  brown :  one  a  purplish- 
brown  ;  the  other,  a  burnt  sienna."  In  size  they  differ  but 
little  from  those  of  the  Ruffed  Grouse. 

(c).  The  Canada  Grouse  are  common  residents  in  many 
parts  of  northern  New  England,  especially  Northern  Maine, 
but  in  Massachusetts  they  are  of  accidental  occurrence,  and  I 
find  records  of  only  two  captures  in  this  State,  one  u  in  the 
hemlock  woods  of  Gloucester,  in  September,  1851,  another  at 
.Roxbury."  These  birds  are  rare  among  the  White  Mountains, 
so  far  as  I  know,  as  I  have  but  occasionally  seen  them  there. 


1  The  White  or  Willow  Ptarmigan  (Lagopus  oftws)  is  said  to  occur  as  a  winter 
visitant  in  Northern  New  England.  At  this  time  it  is  characterized  by  the  pure 
white  plumage,  and  its  black  confined  to  the  tail.  In  summer  it  is  marked  with 
black  and  browns.  It  is  about  sixteen  inches  long.  An  allied  but  "rather 
smaller  "  species,  confined  to  Arctic  America,  has  a  slenderer  bill,  and,  in  the  male, 
a  black  eye-stripe.  The  ptarmigans  have  feathered  toes. 

N.  B.— The  Wild  Turkey  has  for  many  years  been  exterminated  in  New  Eng- 
land. 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  387 

Their  chief  haunts  are  evergreen-swamps,  where,  if  approached 
by  man,  they  sometimes  exhibit  a  surprising  tameness,  the 
mother  of  a  young  brood  not  hesitating  boldl}7  to  defend  her 
charge.  Their  habits  are  essentially  like  those  of  our  u  Par- 
tridges," who  likewise,  in  wild  places,  if  disturbed  while  with 
their  young,  often  fly  at  the  intruder,  generally  attacking  his 
feet,  after  which  they  immediately  retreat  to  collect  the  little 
ones,  who  have  meanwhile  hidden. 

(d).  The  Canada  Grouse,  like  their  better  known  relatives, 
drum  loudly  ;  at  least  I  have  strong  reasons  to  believe  so,  with- 
out having  seen  them  in  the  act.  Their  ordinary  note  is  a 
chuck. 

II.    CUPIDONIA 

(A)    CUPIDO.     Pinnated  Grouse.     "Prairie  lien." 

(In  New  England,  formerly  somewhat  common,  but  now 
almost  or  quite  extinct.) 

(a).  About  eighteen  inches  long.  Above,  marked  trans- 
versety  with  black,  white,  and  brown.  Beneath,  tawny,  whiten- 
ing behind.  Throat  often  unmarked,  but  breast,  etc.,  barred 
with  white  (and  brown).  Wings  and  tail,  dull  brown,  generally 
marked  with  white.  $ ,  with  long  feathers  on  the  neck,  which 
when  erected,  form  two  prominent  "wings,"  also  with  red  "eye- 
brows," and  beneath  the  "wings"  a  piece  of  skin,  which  can 
be  distended  so  as  much  to  resemble  a  half-orange. 

(6).  The  eggs,  which  are  laid  on  the  ground,  are  brownish- 
drab  or  lighter,  and  average  about  1*65  X  1*35  of  an  inch. 

(c).  The  celebrated  '*  Prairie  Hens"  are  here  included  among 
the  birds  of  New  England,  only  on  account  of  their  possible 
presence  on  a  few  islands  off  the  South-eastern  Coast.  I  am 
informed,  however,  that  they  no  longer  exist  on  Naushon,  where 
they  are  not  known  to  have  ever  been  indigenous,  and  that  they 
are  probably  extinct  on  Martha's  Vine}rard.  Having  never 
seen  these  birds  alive,  I  am  obliged  to  draw  my  account  from 
other  authors.  The  Pinnated  Grouse  show  a  marked  dislike 
for  water,  and  choose  dry,  wooded  soils  for  their  haunts,  such 
as  are  called  "barrens."  They  feed  chiefly  upon  berries,  and 


388  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

also  acorns.  They  usually  roost  upon  the  ground,  but  often 
resort  to  trees,  especially  in  cold  weather,  during  which  they 
continue  to  reside  in  their  summer-haunts.  They  fly  less  rap- 
idly and  with  less  whirr  than  the  Ruffed  Grouse,  and  walk 
rather  less  gracefully.  At  the  mating-season,  the  males  become 
very  pompous  and  pugnacious.  They  meet  in  the  morning  at 
an  early  4iour,  and  engage  in  fierce  combat. 

(d).  It  is  at  this  time  that  they  produce  their  peculiar  boom- 
ing, or  "tooting,"  which  is  so  loud  that  it  may  be  heard  at  the 
distance  of  several  miles.  Their  ordinary  note  is  the  chucking 
which  belongs  to  other  grouse. 

The  "  Prairie  Hens  "  are  still  abundant  in  the  West,  whence 
thousands  are  forwarded  to  Eastern  markets.  Their  gradual 
extermination  is  greatly  to  be  regretted. 

III.  BONASA 

(A)  UMBELLUS.     Ruffed  Grouse.    "Partridge"    "Pheasant" 

(In  many  parts  of  New  England,  a  common  resident 
throughout  the  year.) 

(a).  About  eighteen  inches  long.  Above,  reddish-brown, 
with  numerous  gray  edgings.  Erectile  crown-feathers,  and  in- 
terscapulars,  marked  with  black.  Ruff-feathers  on  the  sides 
of  the  neck,  dark  brown  or  black,  with  two  or  three  metallic 
bars.  Back,  minutely  speckled  with  black,  and  streaked  with 
light  grayish  spots,  which  are  black-edged.  Tail,  gra}',  with  a 
broad  subterminai  black  band ;  elsewhere  paler,  or  reddish, 
barred  and  finely  vermiculated  with  black.  Primaries  marked 
with  whitish  on  the  outer  webs.  Under  parts,  tawn}^  becoming 
white  behind.  Throat,  unmarked  or  slightly  waved ;  breast, 
with  dull  brown  bars,  dark-edged  above ;  sides,  with  umber 
bars.  The  tail  usually  has  eighteen  feathers,  arid  is  rounded, 
as  in  the  "  Prairie  Hen,"  but  is  considerably  longer.  The 
auriculars  (or  ear-feathers)  are  long  and  loose. 

(6).  The  eggs  average  1-65  X  1 '25  of  an  inch,  vary  from 
drab-buff  to  rich  reddish  buff,  and  are  sometimes  spotted. 
From  eight  to  fifteen  are  laid  together  in  the  latter  part  of 
May.  The  nest  consists  of  a  few  leaves  and  grasses  placed 


MAILED 


Jt^is\ 


<7 

—  / 


a 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND. 


389 


on  the  ground,  beside  a  log,  rock,  or  tree,  in  the  woods.  It  is 
most  often  to  be  found  in  or  near  swampy  lands.  The  last 
which  I  examined,  which  contained  eight  fresh  eggs  about  the 
twenty-fifth  of  May,  was  placed  in  the  "  scrub,"  beneath  an 
interlacing  of  fallen  switches.  It  was  a  hollow,  about  nine 
inches  in  diameter,  and  was  lined  chiefly  with  bits  of  dry  fern. 


Fig.  20.    Ruffed  Grouse  (£). 

(c).2  Had  our  forefathers  been  as  intolerant  of  error  in 
matters  of  science  as  in  matters  of  faith,  and  had  they  wished, 
in  npplj'ing  familiar  names  to  common  objects,  that  the  Eng- 
lish should  obtain  by  comparison  an  accurate  impression  of 
what  was  found  here,  our  Ruffed  Grouse  would  have  been 

9  This  biography,  and  the  three  following,  have  been  contributed  by  a  friend. 


'     • 


390  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

called  "  Wood  Grouse,"  and  not  "  Partridges,"  for  they  are 
grouse,  though  they  differ  strikingly  from  the  English  birds 
of  that  name,  as  well  as  from  our  own  "  Pinnated  Grouse," 
in  frequenting  the  woods,  in  the  whiteness  of  their  meat,  in 
their  want  of  sociability,  and  finally  in  their  markings.  The 
three  birds  differ  but  little  in  size. 

The  Ruffed  Grouse  have  in  common  with  their  English  rela- 
tives an  indifference  to  danger  early  in  the  season,  and,  a 
little  later,  cunning  and  wariness,  combined  with  swiftness  on 
the  wing.  They  resemble  in  habits  the  British  Pheasants, 
whence  the  name  given  to  them  in  the  South  and  parts  of  the 
Middle  States ;  and,  since  the  English  partridges  scarcely  re- 
semble at  all  their  name-sakes  in  New  England,  it  must  be  con- 
fessed that  the  "Southerners"  have  come  nearer  the  mark,  in 
calling  the  present  species  a  pheasant. 

The  Ruffed  Grouse,  or  "Partridges,"  are  very  hardy,  and, 
though  not  migratory,  may  be  found  from  Newfoundland  and 
the  western  British  possessions  to  Georgia  and  New  Mexico 
on  the  South  and  West.  We  shall  here  describe  their  habits 
in  New  England. 

In  the  spring  and  early  summer  may  be  heard  that  remark- 
able sound  called  "  drumming."  Whoever  is  fortunate  enough 
to  approach  closely  an  old  cock  in  the  act  of  drumming,  will 
be  well  rewarded  for  the  trouble  that  he  may  have  taken  in  so 
doing.  Generally  on  a  log  or  broad  stump,  or  in  a  cleared  spot, 
the  bird  will  be  seen,  puffed  like  a  turkey  to  twice  his  natural 
size,  with  his  crest  erect,  his  ruffs  extended  (as  in  the  cut, 
fig.  20),  and  his  tail  spread,  strutting  about,  lowering  or  twist- 
ing his  neck  and  head,  and  then  suddenly  beating  violently  with 
his  wings  his  inflated  body.  This  causes  a  sound,  which  on  a 
favorable  day  may  be  heard  for  a  mile  or  two,  and  which  is 
often  repeated  at  intervals  for  some  time.  One  can  appreciate 
the  muscular  vitality  of  the  wings  and  the  rapidity  of  their 
motion,  by  endeavoring  to  imitate  the  sound  on  a  cushion  (or 
other  surface)  with  the  hand.  It  will  be  found  impossible  to 
equal  or  even  to  approach  the  rapidity  of  the  repeated  strokes. 

The  eggs,  deposited  from  day  to  day,  are  generally  laid  be- 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  391 

fore  the  first  of  June,  and  mature  in  about  eighteen  days.  The 
young  leave  the  nest  immediately,  and  find  the  greater  part  of 
their  own  food,  though  the  hen  sometimes  offers  them  a  few 
morsels.  At  this  time,  the  latter  part  of  June,  and  indeed 
through  the  rest  of  the  summer,  the  young  broods  commonly 
frequent  low,  moist  grounds  in  thick  coverts,  where  food  is 
abundant  and  water  at  hand,  and  there  they  are  sure  to  be  met 
with  in  a  search  for  summer  Woodcock.  Should  a  brood  be 
disturbed,  while  still  with  the  hen,  the  latter  feigns  lameness, 
and  decoys  the  intruder  awa}-,  suffering  him  to  put  his  hand 
almost  upon  her,  uttering  a  clucking  of  anxiety,  until  she 
thinks  him  at  a  safe  distance  from  her  young,  when  she  darts 
off  on  the  wing,  her  chicks  having  meantime  hidden,  and  leaves 
the  deluded  victim  of  this  pretty  ruse  to  wonder  alone.  Some- 
times, she  even  bristles  up  and  attacks  the  offender,  as  well 
as  she  can,  and  much  like  a  brooding  hen. 

If  the  first  nest  be  destroyed,  a  second  hatching  is  often  en- 
tered upon.  The  }Toung  increase  rapidly  in  size,  and  by  the 
first  of  September  are  two-thirds  grown.  Until  then  they  re- 
main more  or  less  together  in  a  covey,  and,  if  undisturbed, 
even  do  so  until  the  following  spring.  While  young,  they 
suffer  severely  from  exposure  to  unusual  weather,  especially  to 
cold  and  heavy  rains,  which  are  very  destructive.  Moreover,  a 
species  of  wood-tick  attacks  them  in  summer,  inserting  its  tri- 
angular head  beneath  the  skin.  It  is  said  to  be  especially  dan- 
gerous, when  it  attaches  itself  to  the  bird's  head  or  neck,  but, 
at  all  events,  many  birds  suffer  from  it.  They  are  also  often 
infested  with  lice,  and  are  occasionally  troubled  by  a  kind  of 
bott-worm,  which  resembles  a  large  maggot,  and  which  must 
be  fatal,  since  it  reaches  the  flesh. 

In  the  first  part  of  the  shooting-season,  whether  it  be  Sep- 
tember or  October,  tolerable  sport  may  be  had  with  the  birds 
over  a  gun,  if  they  have  not  been  disturbed  previously,  and 
if  they  are  abundant  and  in  passable  woods,  though  in  the 
wilderness  or  rough  forest  they  can  only  be  shot  while  sta- 
tionary, as  the  woods  are  usually  too  thick  and  encumbered  to 
allow  of  shooting  at  them  on  the  wing.  In  such  places,  or 


392  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

wherever  the  birds  are  not  suspicious  of  man,  they  often  take 
to  a  tree,  if  pursued  by  a  yelping  cur  or  spaniel,  and,  appa- 
rently in  a  state  of  stupid  wonder,  allow  the  sportsman  to  walk 
up  and  shoot  them.  Except  in  the  wilderness,  however,  it  has 
never  been  my  good  fortune  to  have  a  covey  wait,  while,  be- 
ginning with  the  lowest  on  the  tree,  I  might  shoot  them  one  by 
one.  This  undoubtedly  is  and  can  be  done,  if  the  birds  are 
wholly  unsophisticated,  but  I  caution  young  sportsmen  against 
too  firm  a  belief  and  too  high  hopes  founded  on  such  reports. 
Even  with  the  very  best  of  dogs,  the  newest  kind  of  breech- 
loader, the  very  acme  of  skill,  and  an  abundance  of  birds,  it 
is  very  rarely  the  case  that  a  good  bag  is  made.  The  birds 
seldom  lie  well  to  a  dog,  but  steal  away  so  rapidly  on  foot,  that, 
if  the  dog  is  slow  and  staunch,  they  get  away  altogether,  or,  if 
the  dog  follows  at  an  equal  pace,  it  is  generally  impossible, 
owing  to  the  thickness  of  the  cover,  for  you  to  follow  at  the 
same  rate.  Again,  half  of  the  birds,  when  startled,  get  into  a 
tree,  and  one  can  see  them  neither  in  the  tree  nor  when  they 
leave  it.  So  on  with  one  vexation  after  another  throughout 
the  early  season.  As  the  leaves  drop,  the  birds  become  more 
shy  and  wary,  getting  up,  often  silently,  instead  of  with  their 
usual  whirr,  at  long  distances,  and  often  flying  with  immense 
rapidity.  Yet  it  is  a  pleasure  to  kill  them.  They  fall  with  a 
satisfactory  thud,  they  fill  up  one's  bag,  and  are  a  very  good 
addition  to  the  larder.  A  few  lucky  chances  at  these  seduc- 
tive birds  often  inveigle  the  old  and  sagacious  sportsman  into 
trying  them  once  more,  though  they  all  declare  that  the  "  Par- 
tridges "  ought  not  to  be  ranked  among  game-birds.  Sometimes, 
after  a  fall  of  light  snow,  the  sportsman  may  pursue  them  suc- 
cessfully without  a  dog.  He  may  also  occasionally  have  good 
luck  with  a  dog,  on  an  exceptionally  cold  autumn  morning, 
when  the  birds  are  more  sluggish  than  usual. 

The  Ruffed  Grouse  feed  throughout  the  summer  on  various 
email  fruits  and  berries,  and  upon  such  insects  as  come  in  their 
way.  They  eat  also  small  acorns,  blackberries,  grapes,  and 
beech-nuts.  On  the  arrival  of  snow,  they  begin  to  feed  on  the 
buds  of  various  trees  and  shrubs ;  among  others  upon  one  or 


OF  NEW  ENGLAND.  CV6 

more  kinds,  which  often  render  their  flesh  unwholesome  and 
poisonous.  As  spring  opens,  the}7  often  eat  the  buds  of  apple- 
trees  and  birches,  of  both  of  which  they  are  particularly  fond. 
They  are  able  to  endure  an  excessive  degree  of  cold,  and,  so 
long  as  they  can  find  sufficient  food,  they  do  not  apparently 
suffer  from  severe  winters ;  but  some  perish,  like  the  Quail, 
from  being  caught  beneath  the  crust  of  the  snow,  under  which, 
as  it  falls,  they  frequently  lie,  contrary  to  their  habit  of  roost- 
ing in  trees. 

The  flight  of  the  Ruffed  Grouse,  when  well  under  way,  is 
very  rapid,  and  undoubtedly  these  birds  sometimes  accomplish 
even  the  first  forty  yards  of  their  flight  in  a  second.  They 
usually  rise  rather  slowly,  especially  in  thick  woods,  and  at 
first  afford  an  easy  mark,  unless  late  in  the  season,  when,  with 
a  clear  path,  they  go  off  with  great  speed.  Having  reached  the 
level  of  the  tree-tops,  a  few  yards  suffice  for  headway,  and  the 
latter  part  of  their  flight,  extended  sometimes  to  several  hun- 
dred yards,  is  usually  made  with  very  little  motion  of  the 
wings. 

(d).  The  ordinary  note  of  the  "Partridges"  are  a  chuck  or 
clucking,  and  the  whining  call  of  the  hen  to  her  young. 

§  31.   Perdicidse.     Partridges.     (See  §  29.) 
I.   ORTYX 

(A)    VIRGINIANUS.     Quail.     Partridge.     "Bob  White" 
(In  south-eastern  New  England,  a  common  resident.) 
(a).   About  nine  inches  long.     ^ ,  with  the  crown-feathers 
somewhat  erectile.    Chief  tint,  reddish  or  chestnut-brown,  some- 
.  what  restricted  on  the  head,  wanting  on  the  tail  and  middle  of 
the  under  parts,  but  becoming  chestnut-red  on  the  sides.     Head,, 
with  much  black,  but  with  the  throat,  forehead,  superciliary 
line,  and  edging  of  the  lower  feathers,  white.     Upper  parts 
marked   with   black,   gray,  and   tawny.     Tail  gray,  scarcely 
marked  ;  quills  browner,  slightly  mottled  with  tawny.     Breast, 
etc.,  waved  or  barred  with  black ;  belly,  chiefly  white,  and  less 
marked.      $  ,  with  tints  less  bright,  etc. ;  the  throat,  etc.,  buff. 
(6).   The  nest  is  not  unlike  that  of  the  Ruffed  Grouse,  but 


394 


LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 


it  is  more  neatly  constructed,  being  frequently  lined  with 
strips  of  bark,  and  is  often  built  in  more  open  or  bushy  places. 
The  eggs  average  about  1*20  X  1*00  of  an  inch,  are  somewhat 
pointed,  and  are  white  (often  slightly  stained  but  not  strictly 
spotted).  They  are  laid  in  the  latter  part  of  May,  and  there 
are  sometimes,  according  to  Wilson,  twenty-four  in  the  same 
nest,  in  which  case  two  or  three  females  probably  contribute  to 
the  laying. 

(c).   The  Quail  are  abundant  in  the  three  Southern  States  of 

New  England,  except  in 
the  colder  and  more  hilly 
portions.  They  are  not 
found  much  to  the  north 
or  east  of  Boston,  in  the 
neighborhood  of  which, 
however,  they  are  resident 
throughout  the  year.  Our 
observations  on  them  natu- 
rally begin  at  that  season 
of  the  3*ear  when  they  re- 
linquish their  habits  of  ex- 
treme cunning  and  vigil- 
ance for  those  of  confi- 
dence in  man's  respect  for 
domestic  life,  that  is  in 
the  early  part  of  summer. 
Though  among  the  hardiest 
and  most  active  of  feath- 
ered creatures,  they  are  prudent  in  spring,  and  do  not  commit 
•  themselves  to  the  risks  of  incubation  until  they  have  received  full 
assurance  of  fitting  weather.  In  this  respect  they  differ  from  the 
feebler  but  more  venturesome  Woodcock,  whose  premature  en- 
deavors, founded  upon  the  first  deceptive  smile  of  spring,  to 
raise  a  family,  are  often  defeated  by  an  unexpected  snow-storm. 
The  Quail  do  not  begin  until  May,  when  they  announce  the 
fact  to  all  their  neighbors  within  half  a  mile  by  their  loud, 
frank,  and  cheery  whistle,  which  is  generally  translated  into 


Fig.  21.  QuaU 


OF   NEW  ENGLAND.  395 

our  uncouth  language  as  "Bob  White."  The  male  is  not  now 
constrained  by  fear,  and,  instead  of  any  false  pride,  he  has  a 
proper  sense  of  his  own  comely  appearance.  He  knows  that 
he  is  attending  adequately  to  his  department  in  the  great  busi- 
ness of  nature,  and  is  entirely  willing  that  any  one  should  see 
him.  He  has  no  fear  of  man,  but  he  keeps  an  eye  to  the 
hawks,  cats,  and  those  other  predatory  enemies,  who  respect 
neither  time,  place,  nor  season.  He  is  willing  to  take  any 
amount  of  the  family  responsibility ;  Nature  cannot,  ask  too 
much  of  him ;  he  will  whistle  to  two  or  three  wives  if  necessary  ; 
and  he  will  even  accept  the  law  of  Moses,  and  assume  the  part 
of  husband  towards  his  brother's  widow.  Should  his  wife  pro- 
pose a  family  of  fifteen  instead  of  nine,  he  does  not  complain ; 
ancf,  moreover,  having  escorted  his  young  family  about  for  a 
short  time,  he  is  ready  to  go  through  this  once  or  even  twice 
more.  In  fact,  he  carries  his  amiability  and  industry  so  far  as 
often  to  introduce  a  half-grown  family  to  the  rigors  of  winter, 
so  that  it  is  not  uncommon  to  find  a  covey  of  these  little 
"cheepers,"  when  hardly  able  to  fly,  even  in  November.  A 
successful  pair  of  Quail  often  turn  out  twenty-five  young  in  a 
season.  During  the  period  of  incubation,  the  Quail  often  ap- 
pear on  our  lawns,  or  on  the  walls  and  fences  by  the  roadside. 
Though  their  bills  are  especially  adapted  to  crushing,  and  their 
crops  to  dissolving  small  grains  and  seeds,  they  are  also  fond 
of  grubs,  worms,  and  other  insects,  and  are  thus  useful  in  de- 
stroying the  farmer's  pests. 

When  the  armistice  granted  by  law  and  custom  is  over,  the 
male,  with  his  family,  seeks  securer  spots,  becoming  restless 
and  active.  From  this  time  forward,  he  seeks  safety  in  con- 
cealment and  silence,  and  only  betrays  his  presence  by 'the 
plaintive  call  which  his  social  instincts  compel  him  to  utter 
when  separated  from  his  companions,  or  by  the  treacherous 
scent  of  his  body,  which  he  cannot  retain.  Besides  being  very 
uncertain  in  his  daily  wanderings,  especially  to  those  who  are 
unfamiliar  with  the  locality,  he  is  to  a  certain  extent  migratory  ; 
but  his  migrations,  unlike  those  of  the  true  Quail  of  Europe,  are 
always  performed  on  foot,  so  far  as  possible.  We  believe  that 


396  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

this  is  not  much  the  case  in  New  England  ;  though,  from  the 
accidental  appearance  of  a  covey  in  the  Berkshire  hills,  and  in 
those  of  New  Hampshire  beyond  the  isothermal  lines  which 
mark  the  northern  range  of  these  birds,  it  may  be  inferred  that 
they  are  very  vagrant  in  their  disposition.  In  Delaware  and 
Maryland,  however,  coveys  of  Quail  often  appear,  who  are  dis- 
tinctively called  by  the  sportsmen  there  "  runners."  On  the 
western  side  of  the  Chesapeake,  an  old  sportsman  assured  me 
that  covey  after  covej1'  passed  through  the  country,  where  food 
and  shelter  were  abundant,  crossing  the  peninsula  on  foot,  but 
often  perishing  by  the  wholesale  in  attempting  to  pass  the 
wider  inlets,  and  he  added  in  proof  of  this  that  he  had  taken 
as  many  as  forty  at  a  time  from  the  middle  of  the  river  near 
his  house. 

To  return  to  their  habits  here : — At  night,  for  at  least  many 
days  in  succession,  the  Quail  select  the  same  spot  to  sleep  in, 
more  usually  in  low  ground,  where  the  long  grass  affords  shel- 
ter and  warmth.  There  they  encamp,  not  huddled  together 
promiscuously  and  unadvisedly,  but  shoulder  to  shoulder  in  a 
circle,  with  their  heads  out,  so  that  in  the  event  of  a  sudden 
surprise  they  escape  rapidly,  and  in  every  direction,  without 
difficult}^.  Such  roosting-places  may  very  often  be  found  self- 
attesting,  from  the  arrangement  and  accumulation  of  hard, 
round  faeces.  Though  they  rarely  take  to  wing  except  when 
surprised,  they  almost  invariably  do  so  on  leaving  their  roost  in 
the  morning,  which  they  do  at  an  early  hour.  Let  us  suppose 
ourselves  to  be  accompanying  Quail  on  a  day's  ramble.  They 
first  fly  from  the  swamp,  perhaps  four  or  five  hundred  yards,  to 
some  copse  adjoining  a  stubble-field.  After  a  little  toilet  and 
a  few  sips  of  dew,  they  breakfast  on  the  edge  of  the  grain- 
field,  keeping  somewhat  together,  though  each  seeks  for  him- 
self, making  an  occasional  demand  for  halves  upon  the  lucky 
finder  of  some  luscious  morsel.  Half  an  hour  after  sunrise, 
the  birds  have  passed  through  the  long  field  more  rapidty  than 
usual,  since  the  dew  is  not  heavy,  owing  to  a  breeze  in  the 
night.  Otherwise,  they  might  have  skirted  the  field  to  avoid 
getting  wet,  which  they  much  dislike.  Having  reached  a  fal- 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  397 

low  field,  the  old  cock  suddenly  squats ;  then,  with  wonderful 
rapidity  and  steps  nearly  eighteen  inches  long,  he  runs  across 
this  land,  the  others  following.  He  passes  through  a  dry  oak- 
wood,  halts  a  moment  for  the  stragglers,  takes  breath,  and 
then  flies  silently  from  the  crest  of  the  hill  across  the  little 
valley  below.  These  hurried  movements  are  due  to  a  lad  with 
a  gun  and  an  old  dog.  The  latter  of  these  new  comers  stops 
suddenly  as  if  paralyzed,  and  then  steps  along  slowly  and 
stealthily  to  that  part  of  the  stubble-field  where  the  birds  left 
it,  stopping  from  time  to  time  for  his  master  to  come  up.  Puz- 
zled, he  now  returns  more  rapidly,  but  circumspectly,  to  the 
point  of  the  birds'  entrance  on  the  field,  and  there  he  is  again 
puzzled.  His  master,  after  obliging  him  to  go  all  through  the 
stubble,  after  tramping  himself  all  over  this,  as  well  as  the 
adjoining  woods,  shoulders  his  gun  and  goes  off.  Meanwhile, 
our  former  companions  have  wandered  half  a  mile  further,  and, 
after  drinking  in  a  lively  little  brook,  have  again  taken  a  short 
flight.  They  are  now  sitting  half  asleep  in  the  sunshine  on  a 
dry,  sandy  bank,  though  some  are  dusting  themselves  in  littlo 
hollows  which  they  have  scratched  out,  just  as  hens  do.  In  the 
latter  part  of  the  afternoon  they  return,  perhaps  by  very  much 
the  same  route,  and  reach  the  old  stubble-field  ;  but,  just  when 
they  are  in  the  middle  of  this,  a  hawk  appears,  and  the  whole 
covey  instantly  squat.  Should  the  marauder  detect  them,  not- 
withstanding the  assimilation  of  their  coloring  to  that  of  the 
mould  and  dead  vegetation,  one  must  perish.  The  danger  is 
soon  past,  however,  and  the  birds  are  feeding  again  ;  but  they 
squat  a  second  time,  because  our  friend  with  the  gun  has  re- 
appeared. His  dog  soon  ascertains  their  position  and  stops 
again,  while  the  lad  advances  beyond  him.  The  birds  sud- 
denly spring  up  with  a  startling  wJiirr,  which  is  immediately 
followed  by  the  bang,  bang,  of  two  gun-barrels,  which  prove 
harmless.  The  old?  cock  and  one  or  two  more  go  to  a  patch  of 
scrub-oaks,  the  old  hen  and"  three  others  to  a  grove  of  maples ; 
no,  they  have  gone  into  a  nasty  swamp.  The  others  have 
flown  straight  to  a  pine-grove.  The  old  cock  and-  his  compan- 
ions race  over  the  dry  leaves  through  the  scrub  oaks,  at  the 


398  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

rate  of  a  hundred  and  fifty  yards  in  a  minute,  so  that  one  must 
trot  to  go  as  fast.  The  young  do  the  same  over  the  smooth, 
dr}T  carpet  of  pine-needles.  They  pass  along  so  rapidly,  and 
the  ground  is  so  free  from  grass  and  undergrowth,  that  no 
scent  is  left  behind.  Two  or  three  birds  are  in  the  pines,  sit- 
ting close  to  the  trunks  or  along  the  boughs.  Two  others  have 
dropped  into  a  bunch  of  briars,  and  the  rest  into  bushes  near 
by.  Our  friend  has  now  passed  through  the  intervening  copse  ; 
he  has  reached  the  swamp,  and  has  hunted  over  it  thoroughly 
but  without  success.  His  fine-haired  pointer  has  refused  to 
go  among  the  briars.  Had  our  friend  waited  half  an  hour 
until  the  scent  of  the  birds  had  become  stronger  through  grad- 
ual dissemination,  his  dog  would  have  found  them  easily. 
Tired  and  disappointed,  he  sits  down  to  consider,  when  sud- 
denly two  of  the  Quail  whirr  almost  at  his  feet.  Meanwhile, 
the  young  birds  have  run  half  a  mile,  leaving  no  scent,  and 
those  who  were  in  the  trees  have  silently  flown  on  to  join  their 
companions.  Bye  and  b}re  }TOU  may  be  surprised  to  hear  them 
calling  each  other  together  near  the  old  field,  and  apparently 
on  the  very  ground  which  our  friend  has  searched  so  carefully. 
At  last  they  will  be  back  again  at  their  roosting-place  safe  and 
sound,  even  if  pursued  until  after  dark.  Now  the  lad  also  re- 
turns home,  and  explains  his  ill  luck  by  an  extraordinary  the- 
ory, read  of  in  books,  and  verified  by  his  own  experience,  that 
our  Quail  have  a  wonderful  power  of  retaining  their  scent. 
The  only  sound  argument  to  prove  this  statement  is  that  our 
game-birds,  when  very  young,  by  a  thoughtful  provision  of 
nature,  emit  little  or  no  scent.3 

Though  the  Quail  are  very  hardy,  and  can  probably  endure 
very  severe  cold,  they  often  perish  in  the  snow.  In  winter, 
they  lie  on  the  ground  as  usual,  always  allowing  the  snow  to 


3  Among  the  very  numerous  writers  on  this  subject,  none,  so  far  as  we  have 
observed,  have  claimed  to  possess  that  scientific  and  exact  knowledge  of  the 
Quail's  physiological  structure  and  functions,  without  which  it  is  idle  to  argue  the 
question.  When  game-birds  drop  suddenly  to  the  ground  and  remain  motionless, 
the  dog  does  not  perceive  them.  Quail  most  frequently  alight  in  this  way,  but,  as 
Boon  as  they  begin  to  move,  the  effluvia  escapes  and  is  disseminated. 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  399 

accumulate,  until  morning,  when  they  free  themselves  by  united 
effort.  Should  a  crust  be  formed,  they  frequently  find  it  im- 
possible to  escape,  and  so  perish. 

The  haunts  and  habits  of  our  Quail  of  course  vary  much  in 
different  localities.  In  the  South  and  West  they  are  accounted 
easy  to  shoot,  but,  being  very  abundant  there,  they  are  less 
often  followed  into  the  "thick."  In  the  wooded  parts  of  New 
England,  on  the  other  hand,  a  good  bag  of  Quail  is  the  best 
test  of  a  sportsman's  skill.  A  successful  pursuit  of  them  re- 
quires the  utmost  vigilance  and  activity,  a  sure  hand,  strong 
nerves,  and  -great  quickness  together  with  nice  observation. 
Their  flight,  late  in  the  season,  is  much  more  rapid  than  that 
of  the  Woodcock  or  Snipe.  They  are,  moreover,  exceedingly 
tenacious  of  life.  Their  habits  of  capricious  wandering,  of 
rapid  running,  of  dropping  suddenly  like  stones,  of  resorting 
to  trees,  and  of  seeking  covers  which  are  thick  or  rendered  im- 
penetrable by  briars,  necessitate  vigor,  a  certain  aim,  and  a 
familiarity  with  their  habits. 

(d).  The  principal  notes  of  the  Quail,  which  we  have  already 
spoken  of,  are  both  whistles.  One  (which  is  somewhat  like  the 
whistle  of  the  Great  Crested  F^-catcher)  is  a  single  call-note, 
uttered  as  if  the  breath  were  drawn  in  at  the  latter  part,  and  is 
emplo}'ed  at  all  times  of  the  year.  The  other  is  heard  in 
spring  and  summer,  and  consists  of  two  or  three  loud  notes,  of 
which  each  is  higher  than  the  preceding.  This  latter  is  very 
well  known,  and  is  familiar  to  nearly  all  persons  who  live  in 
the  country.  The  Quail  have  also  a  few  low  twitterings,  not 
audible  at  any  great  distance,  and  a  okuck. 

§  32.     Scolopacidao.     Snipe,  etc.     (See  §  29.) 
I.    PHILOHELA 

(A)    MINOR.4     (American)  Woodcock. 


4  The  larger  European  Woodcock  (Scolopax  rusticola)  is  said  to  have  occurred 
in  New  England  as  a  straggler.  In  this  species,  only  the  outer  wing-fealher  (or 
first  primary)  is  attenuate,  i.  e.  extremely  narrow.  In  the  American  species, 
three  of  the  pr.maries  present  this  appearance. 


400  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

(In  New  England,  most  abundant  as  a  migrant,  but  locally 
common  as  a  summer-resident.) 


Fig.  22.    Woodcock  (£). 

(a).  About  eleven  inches  long.  Beneath,  varying  from 
(very)  pale  reddish  buff  to  ruddy  chestnut,  darkest  on  the  sides, 
whitening  on  the  chin  and  cheeks.  Above,  varied  with  the 
same  tint,  with  black,  and  with  grayish.  Forehead  scarcely 
marked,  but  bordered  by  a  dark,  irregular  (and  often  indistinct) 
line  from  the  bill  to  the  *ye.  Immature  specimens  are  paler 
and  grayer  above,  and  have  several  white  markings. 

(6).  The  eggs  average  about  1-50  X  1'20  of  an  inch,  though 
variable  in  size  and  shape,  and  are  creamy,  brownish,  or  clay- 
color,  spotted  and  blotched  with  lilac  and  rather  dull  or  indis- 
tinct browns.  In  Massachusetts,  a  set  of  four  is  usually  laid 
about  the  middle  of  April.  The  places  chosen  are  swampy 
groves,  especially  of  alders  or  birches,  and  sometimes  pastures 
or  clearings.  There  is  but  little  or  no  nest. 

(c).   A  "game-bird,"  though  exceptions  may  be  taken  to  al- 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  401 

most  any  definition  of  this  term,  is  generally  understood  to  be 
a  bird  that  lies  to  a  dog,  and  that  can  be  shot  only  when  on  the 
wing.  This  definition,  however,  excludes,  and  we  think  rightly, 
the  "  Partridge"  or  Ruffed  Grouse,  who  will  not  lie  to  a  dog,  but 
who  on  the  contrary  often  takes  to  a  tree,  thus  causing  to  the 
scientific  sportsman  constant  annoyance.  But  the  Woodcock  is 
par  excellence  a  game-bird,  and,  though  he  may  play  in  a  game 
of  life  ancUdeath  to  him,  he  adheres  as  scrupulously  to  rules  of 
honor  as  any  Knight-Errant  of  old.  He  may  have  his  cunning 
devices,  but  he  does  not  sneak  or  hide  in  trees.  This  conduct, 
however,  finds  no  corresponding  sentiment  in  his  rapacious  and 
improvident  pursuer,  to  whose  reckless  cravings  for  sport  or 
gain,  we  in  New  England  are  indebted  for  the  present  scarcity 
of  the  luscious  Woodcock.  Unless  the  laws,  and  general  feel- 
ings on  the  subject,  are  greatly  modified,  comparatively  few 
more  years  will  suffice  to  nearly  exterminate  them. 

The  Woodcock  are  almost  universally  distributed  over  North 
America,  both  as  residents  and  birds  of  passage.  We  shall 
speak  here  of  their  habits  in  New  England  only.  Though  a 
friend  once  showed  the  writer  a  record  of  one  or  more  Wood- 
cock killed  in  Massachusetts  during  every  month  of  the  year, 
these  birds  are  migratory,  and,  though  apparently  often  soli- 
tary in  their  flights,  find  their  way,  by  an  admirable  instinct, 
through  "  the  illimitable  waste  of  air,"  at  least  as  far  as  from 
Labrador  to  Maryland.  Many  breed  in  the  Southern  States, 
even  as  far  South  as  the  Gulf,  while  others  breed  to  the  north- 
ward of  Canada ;  but  all  pass  the  winter  in  the  South,  their 
northern  range  at  that  season  being,  it  is  believed,  Maryland. 
They  reach  the  neighborhood  of  Boston  as  early  as  March,  and 
then,  or  more  often  early  in  April,  they  may  be  found  on  those 
dry  hillsides,  which  were  their  last  resorts  in  autumn.  Almost 
immediately  after  their  arrival,  they  begin  to  mate,  and  they 
may  be  observed  in  the  dusk  of  evening  to  mount  high  in  the 
air,  going  through  a 'variety  of  eccentric  motions,  and  from 
time  to  time  darting  suddenly  down  with  great  velocity.  The 
eggs  are  laid  early  in  April,  sometimes  on  a  warm  knoll,  some- 
times on  a  high,  bare  hillside.  After  incubation  has  begun,  it 
27 


402  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

is  extremely  difficult  to  find  the  birds ;  a  few  days  later  the 
sportsman  may  easily  find  three  or  four  broods  of  young  with 
one  or  both  parents,  where  he  may  before  have  hunted  by 
inches  without  flushing  a  bird.  Should  he,  however,  patiently 
search  with  his  dog  the  dry  grounds,  he  may  find  them,  per- 
haps ten  yards,  perhaps  half  a  mile,  from  the  wet  swale  which 
he  knows  to  be  their  favorite  feeding-ground.  The  same  is  the 
case  in  August ;  also  in  winter  (in  districts  of  the  South,  where 
in  many  localities  which  the  writer  has  visited  the  birds  may  be 
found  in  the  ratio  of  ten  to  a  township).  In  no  part  of  the 
country  are  there  Woodcock  enough  to  occupy  the  whole  of  it ; 
they  may  resort  to  any  part  of  the  many  thousand  acres  out- 
side of  the  particular  spot  to  which  at  particular  times  they 
resort.  While  the  young  are  feeble  on  the  wing  and  their  pa- 
rents are  with  them,  twelve  birds  may  be  found  in  summer  in 
a  swale  of  two  acres,  but  later  they  may  be  dispersed  over 
many  hundred  times  that  space.  Their  "  borings "  (small, 
clean-cut  holes  made  in  soft  earth  by  their  bills)  may  still, 
however,  be  seen  in  the  same  swale  ;  moreover,  by  patient 
watching  at  evening,  their  shadowy  forms  may  be  detected,  as 
they  pass  to  the  swamp,  or  cross  the  roadway,  and,  by  patient 
search,  the  same  twelve  birds  may  be  picked  up  one  by  one  in 
odd  places.  This  fact  the  author  has  verified  by  experience, 
when  the  temporary  laws  forbade  the  killing  of  the  birds  before 
August  fifteenth.  Will  any  one  who  cannot  gainsay  these 
facts  still  uphold  the  absurd  old  theory  that  Woodcock  migrate 
in  summer?  Since  this  so-called  disappearance  is  a  notorious 
fact  from  Canada  to  the  far  South  and  West,  we  venture  to  ask 
to  what  place  the  birds  migrate  ?  To  this  there  is  no  answer. 

The  period  of  incubation  is  supposed  to  be  sixteen  days,  but 
it  may  be  longer.  As  soon  as  the  young  are  hatched,  it  be- 
comes convenient  and  necessary  that  the  whole  family  should 
be  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  a  feeding-ground,  and  it  is 
asserted  that  the  old  birds  frequently  carry  their  young  thither 
in  their  bills.  Their  food  now  consists  of  various  earth-worms, 
which  they  obtain  by  probing  the  ground  with  their  bills,  evi- 
dence of  which  may  often  be  .found,  usually  in  soft,  black 


OF   NEW  ENGLAND.  403 

ground.  Their  borings  are  certain  signs,  which  are  eagerly 
looked  for  by  the  sportsman.  They  also  glean  among  decay- 
ing leaves  and  logs,  and  in  low,  moist,  vegetable  growth  ;  but 
from  a  peculiarity  of  structure  or  habit,  their  soft  animal  food 
is  so  compressed  and  macerated  in  the  swallowing  that  the 
species  eaten  becomes  indistinguishable,  even  when  the  bird  is 
shot  just^after  eating.  Rich,  soft  earth,  running  water,  and 
abundant  shelter,  are  the  most  usual  and  certain  conditions 
for  a  summer  cover. 

The  young  birds  mature  very  rapidly,  but  are  usually  only 
two-thirds  grown  in  July.  From  the  fact  that  often  neither 
parents,  or  at  most  only  one  of  them,  are  to  be  found  with  the 
young  in  their  summer  cover,  and  that  birds  only  half  grown 
are  frequently  shot  in  September  or  late  in  October,  it  may  be 
inferred  that  two  broods  are  raised  in  a  season.  It  is  certain 
that  a  second  set  of  eggs  is  laid,  when  those  of  the  first  nest 
are  destroyed,  either  by  accident  or  by  the  common  vicissitudes 
of  our  climate,  such  as  early  snows,  or  long  continued  wet  and 
cold.  There  are  great  differences  in  the  productiveness  of 
different  seasons.  The  writer  recalls  one  within  a  few  years 
when  there  was  a  heavy  snow-storm  in  the  middle  of  April, 
and  afterwards  floods  caused  by  northeasterly  rains  ;  the  same 
extensive  grounds,  over  which  he  had  been  accustomed  to  get 
three  or  four  dozen  birds  in  the  course  of  July,  contained  that 
year  just  seven  old  birds,  while  a  large  portion  of  the  few 
Woodcock  found  in  September  were  mere  fledglings.  Others 
made  similar  observations  during  the  same  year. 

By  the  first  of  August  a  majority  of  the  Woodcock  desert 
the  low,  wet  grounds,  and  scatter  themselves  all  over  the 
country,  generally  choosing,  however,  some  dry  spot,  protected 
by  a  dense  second  growth.  The  sportsman  may  chance  to  find 
them,  however,  in  the  long  grass  of  a  meadow,  and  in  a  variety 
of  such  places  as  corn-fields,  pine-groves,  bunches  of  dry  alders, 
knolls  of  cedar,  hillsides  of  birch,  woods  of  chestnuts,  thickets 
of  briars,  etc.  They  are  now  moulting  and  half-naked,  and 
they  can  no  longer  make  that  peculiar  whistle  which  at  all 
other  times  warns  the  sportsman.  Though  they  sometimes 


404  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

• 

labor  with  their  wings,  as  they  heavily  flutter  up,  they  as  often 
fly  off  silently  like  an  owl,  stealing  along  close  to  the  ground. 
They  are  usually  found  too  upon  very  dry  land  holding  no 
scent,  where  they  come  merely  to  rest,  and  upon  which  they 
have  dropped  without  running  about.  If  disturbed,  however, 
they  occasionally  steal  away  from  the  dog  on  foot,  running 
over  the  parched  ground,  and  thus  elude  him  altogether,  or  get 
up  out  of  shot  or  unperceived.  On  this  account,  a  pursuit  of 
them  at  this  time  is  unsatisfactory,  requiring  for  a  good  bag 
hard  fagging,  thorough  knowledge  of  the  ground,  great  obser- 
vation and  vigilance. 

In  September,  the  Woodcock  are  again  in  better  condition. 
They  are  now  less  capricious,  and  are  more  easily  found,  fre- 
quenting, for  the  most  part,  drier  grounds.  In  October,  the 
birds  are  not  only  in  prime  condition,  but  they  afford  to  sports- 
men the  most  enjoyable  and  eagerly  sought-for  shooting.  They 
are  found  again  in  localities  which  may  easily  be  ascertained. 
The  sportsman  may  always  hope  for  the  abundant  sport  which 
follows  a  flight,  for  it  is  in  October  that  those  remarkable 
movements  of  the  birds  occur.  There  is  in  flight- time  an  un- 
certainty as  to  when  and  where  the  birds  may  be  found,  which 
gives  in  the  highest  degree  that  element  of  chance,  without 
which  the  sportsman's  life  would  lose  half  its  charm.  Every 
one  must  form  his  own  theories  from  his  own  experience  and 
knowledge  of  the  grounds,  but  certain  it  is  that  sometimes  the 
lucky  or  sagacious  sportsman  may  reach  a  spot  in  which  the 
birds  are  almost  literally  swarming.  Suddenly  and  inexplicably 
the  cover  becomes  full  of  them ;  then  as  mysteriously  it  be- 
comes vacant.  One  would  suppose  that  birds  apparently  so 
feeble  on  the  wing  must  perform  these  long  journeys  by  short 
stages;  but,  though  the  Woodcock  undoubtedly  travel  about 
much  more  actively  than  is  commonly  supposed  from  one  part 
of  a  district  to  another,  so  that  there  are  often  local  flights, 
yet  it  is  well  known  that  they  very  often  appear  simultaneously 
over  wide  areas.  The  writer  himself  has  seen  one  in  the  gray 
of  morning,  a  mile  or  two  from  land  on  the  open  ocean,  flying 
in  as  if  from  sea.  This  bird  was  solitary,  but  in  the  afternoon 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  405 

of  the  same  day  we  found  six  or  eight  birds  in  a  bit  of  wood 
where  we  had  never  seen  Woodcock  before,  and  no  doubt  the 
morning's  bird  was  among  them. 

It  is  quite  evident  that  Woodcock  do  not  fly  in  flocks,  like 
plover  or  wild  fowl,  compactly  and  under  the  direction  of  a 
leader,  but  that  each  travels  independently,  coming  in  contact 
with  his  companions  through  their  common  tastes.  Yet  it  is 
said  to  be  wise  to  leave  a  bird  or  two  in  every  cover  as  "  tollers." 
Twice  when  the  writer  has  met  a  flight,  both  occasions  being 
late  in  the  afternoon,  he  has  gone  through  the  cover  once, 
thought  it  shot  out,  returned  over  the  same  ground  as  it  was 
growing  dark,  found  half  as  many  more,  and  still,  as  he  has 
stood  after  dark  on  the  edge  of  the  cover  and  has  walked 
away,  he  has  perceived  the  birds  dropping  in  one  by  one.  The 
next  day  scarcely  a  bird  could  be  found  there. 

The  Woodcock  pretty  generally  disappear  (near  Boston)  by 
the  twenty-fifth  of  October,  though  it  is  not  uncommon  to  have 
good  shooting  a  fortnight  later.  It  seems  that  the  old  birds 
sometimes  precede  the  young  in  their  flights,  as  is  the  case 
with  the  Sea  Coot  and  Golden  Plover.  The  writer  once 
weighed  eighteen,  shot  on  the  second  of  October,  whose  aver- 
age weight  was  seven  ounces.  This  may  have  been  owing  to 
some  extraordinary  combination  of  accidents ;  but  every 
sportsman  is  familiar  with  those  very  small,  wiry,  compactly 
feathered,  weather-tanned  birds,  who  appear  in  October,  and 
who  are  called,  perhaps  locally,  "  Labrador  twisters." 

The  influence  of  weather  upon  the  birds  is  an  interesting  but 
puzzling  study.  A  heavy  rain  or  frost  causes  them  to  shift 
their  quarters  from  swamps  to  hillsides  or  vice  versa;  a  drought 
or  heavy  flood  drives  them  away  altogether.  In  autumn,  just 
before  a  northeast  storm,  birds  that  have  been  on  a  ground  the 
whole  season  sometimes  seem  very  nervous  and  restless,  jump- 
ing up  wildly  and  flying  far  ;  in  the  same  cover,  after  the  st6rm, 
no  birds  can  be  found. 

The  flight  of  the  Woodcock,  when  first  flushed,  is  short  and 
very  slow.  In  summer,  the  same  bird  may  often  be  shot  at 
eight  or  ten  times,  by  persistent  and  thorough  searching.  He 


406  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

lies  with  his  head  dropped  on  his  shoulders,  and  on  rising 
makes  one  or  two  sharp  whistles  with  his  wings.  It  often  hap- 
pens, however,  especially  if  the  bird  goes  on  to  dry  ground  or 
into  long  grass,  or  if  he  drops,  as  he  often  does,  like  a  stone, 
without  running,  that  the  best  dog  cannot  find  him  by  scent. 
Many  and  many  a  time  in  summer  the  bird  may  be  marked 
down  accurately,  and  may  be  found  only  by  actually  kicking 
him  up.  A  little  study  shows  this  to  be  quite  accidental,  de- 
pending upon  the  condition  of  the  ground,  upon  the  kind  of 
cover,  and  upon  whether  the  bird  runs  or  not.  It  is  a  fact 
which  has  some  bearing  on  the  vexed  question  whether  or  not 
the  Quail  voluntarily  withhold  their  scent. 

The  structure  of  Woodcock's  eyes  is  very  peculiar,  being 
adapted  to  their  habits  of  moving  and  feeding  at  night ;  and 
the  birds  not  unfrequently  run  against  telegraph-wires  in  the 
day-time,  and  are  thus  killed.  Our  species  differs  radically  from 
the  European.  The  general  appearance  and  markings  of  the 
latter  are  wholly  different,  especially  in  his  being  waved  beneath. 
He  is  a  third  larger,  two-thirds  less  luscious,  much  more  indo- 
lent, and  wholly  silent  on  the  wing.  He  may  be  described 
generally  as  a  cross  between  a  curlew  and  an  owl.  Our  Wood- 
cock is  not  a  warbler,  and  does  not  alight  on  trees,  the  asser- 
tions of  our  farmers  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding. 

(d).  His  notes  are  few  and  unmusical.  In  spring,  at  the 
time  of  his  antics  in  the  air,  he  utters  a  series  of  peculiar,  and 
rather  harsh  but  not  very  loud  notes.  Wilson  speaks  of  his 
*'  sudden  quack"  and  says  that  "  when  uttering  his  common 
note  on  the  ground,  he  seems  to  do  it  with  difficulty,  throwing 
his  head  towards  the  earth  and  frequently  jetting  up  his  tail." 
The  young  have  a  feeble  "  peep." 

II.    GALLINAGO 

(A)   WILSONI.     (American)  Snipe.     Wilson's  Snipe. 
(A  common  migrant  through  Massachusetts.) 
(a).   Average  length,  ten  inches.     Bill  essentially  like  that 
of  the  Woodcock,  and  about  as  long.     Head  much  less  stout, 
and  tail  longer,  than  the  corresponding  parts  of  that  bird. 


OF    NEW   ENGLAND.  407 

Crown,  dark,  with  a  light  median  stripe.  Back,  etc.,  varied 
with  black,  brown,  and  a  tint  varying  from  chestnut  to  whitish. 
Belly,  etc.,  white ;  generally  unmarked,  but  with  the  sides 
darkly  barred.  Breast,  etc.,  somewhat  tawn}r,  and  streaked  or 
mottled  with  brown. 

(&).  The  eggs  have  about  the  same  measurements  as  those 
of  the  Woodcock,  but  are  much  more  pointed  or  "  pyriform." 
They  are  drab,  often  tinged  with  olive,  and  are  blotched  with 
brown.  "The  loosely  constructed  nest  is  built  on  the  ground 
in  various  wet  places." 

(c).  The  Snipe,  more  particularly  designated  as  Wilson's 
Snipe  or  the  "  English"  Snipe,  differ  so  slightly  from  the  latter 
as  to  be  substantially  the  same,  if  not  wholly  so.  In  New 
England,  they  are  birds  of  passage,  breeding  here  but  rarely. 
Near  Boston,  they  appear  from  the  South  as  soon  as  the  frost 
is  well  out  of  the  lowlands,  where  they  feed,  and  where  they 
may  be  looked  for  as  soon  as  the  Blue  Bird  enters  seriously 
upon  her  preparations  for  summer  housekeeping,  or  when  the 
shad-bush  is  in  bloom.  Though'  they  do  not  regulate  their 
movements  by  the  calendar,  the  sportsman  will  find  that  in  a 
series  of  years  the  most  favorable  season  for  spring  snipe- 
shooting  is  that  between  April  tenth  and  twenty-fifth.  Strag- 
glers and  small  "wisps"  may  be  found  sometimes  in  March, 
often  in  May,  and  occasionally  in  early  June.  But  at  this  time 
of  year  they  are  uncertain  and  capricious  in  their  habits,  ap- 
pearing and  perhaps  in  a  few  hours  disappeaing  so  suddenly 
and  mysteriously,  as  to  cause  the  formation  of  very  different 
theories  and  speculations,  as  to  what  are  the  favorable  condi- 
tions for  a  "  flight,"  and  to  make  it  impossible  for  any  person 
not  living  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  grounds,  to  count 
surely  upon  finding  birds.  As  to  the  flights,  some  say  u  clear 
warm  weather  with  light  westerly  winds,"  others  "  thick 
weather  and  southerly  winds  ;"  some  look  for  snipe  after,  and 
some  before,  a  northeast  rain-storm ;  and  so  on.  Some  say 
that  thick  weather  makes  them  stop  here,  others  that  clear 
weather  helps  them  to  get  here.  Each  theorist  rejoices  in  his 
own  wisdom,  and  there  is  not  only  this  uncertainty  as  to  the 


408  LAND-BIRDS   AND    GAME-BIRDS 

time  of  arrival,  but  also  an  equally  trying  one  as  to  the  locality 
in  which  the  birds  may  be  found. 

Like  Woodcock,  the  Snipe  use  their  long  and  sensitive  bills 
for  probing  the  mud  or  soft  earth,  and  the  perforations  which 
they  make  are  often  tantalizing  evidences  of  their  recent  occu- 
pation of  the  grounds ;  but,  unlike  them,  they  are  usually, 
though  not  invariably,  found  and  shot  in  the  "  open."  Like 
Woodcock,  again,  they  are  nocturnal  birds,  though  the  modified 
arrangement  and  structure  of  their  eyes  enable  them  to  show 
greater  observation  and  vigilance,  to  make  long  flights,  and  to 
feed,  as  they  frequently  do,  by  daylight. 

It  is  during  the  season  of  mating  in  spring  that  the  actions 
of  the  male  birds  are  so  remarkable  and  interesting.  Rising 
in  the  air  to  a  great  height,  they  dart  and  twist  about  with 
wonderful  agility,  dropping  plumb  down  from  time  to  time  in 
the  midst  of  these  eccentric  gyrations,  and  producing,  as  they 
descend,  a  thrumming  noise,  possibly  caused  by  forming  the 
wing  into  a  sort  of  -ZEolian  hftirp.  The  sound  is  peculiar  and 
unmistakable,  resembling  somewhat  that  made  by  throwing  a 
nail  held  crosswise  in  the  hand,  but  it  is  much  louder  and  more 
full.  It  is  said  that  at  such  times  they  will  sometimes  alight 
temporarily  on  a  tree  or  fence,  but  this  observation  the  author 
has  never  had  the  good  fortune  to  verify,  though  he  once  saw 
one  alight  upon  a  fence-post  for  a  moment,  not,  however,  dur- 
ing an  "  exhibition." 

The  Snipe  breed  in  the  far  North,  and  return  to  us  in 
autumn,  when  they  will,  if  permitted,  remain  on  that  ground 
which  is  to  their  liking  for  several  weeks.  But  though  they 
have  been  found  and  shot  as  early  as  August,  and  as  late  as 
December,  the  most  favorable  time  is  between  September  10th 
and  October  25th,  and  of  this  period  the  last  fortnight  is  the 
best  portion. 

In  all  the  accounts  of  these  birds  which  are  accessible  to 
him,  the  author  finds  the  ancient,  time-honored  tradition,  that 
the  Snipe  always  begin  their  flights  by  rapid  zigzags,  so  that  it 
behooves  the  shooter  either  to  fire  at  the  instant  when  the  birds 
attain  the  height  of  their  first  spring,  or  to  wait  till  they  have 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  409 

completed  their  zigzags  and  begin  their  steady  flight.  The 
beginner,  deeply  impressed  by  these  statements,  his  mind 
filled  with  the  idea  that  the  flight  of  the  Snipe  is  much  like 
that  of  a  tortuous  lightning  flash  through  a  cloud,  sets  out, 
and,  adopting  one  or  the  other  of  these  absurd  rules,  is  sure  to 
miss.  Inasmuch  as  the  Snipe,  five  times  out  of  six,  in  most 
weather  does  not  spring  at  all,  to  fire  at  the  height  of  the  first 
spring  means  to  the  beginner  to  fire  as  soon  as  he  can,  that  is 
as  much  as  possible  before  lie  gets  his  aim.  On  the  other  hand, 
to  wait  until  the  bird  is  done  with  zigzagging  necessitates 
waiting  until  he  has  begun  zigzagging,  and,  as  he  generally  does 
not  zigzag  at  all,  this  involves  waiting  some  time.  From  the 
expression,  "  zigzag  flight/'  would  not  the  natural  impression 
be  that  the  bird  kept  darting  rapidly  with  sharp,  quick,  short 
turns  from  side  to  side  ?  That  such  is  the  Snipe's  usual  flight 
is  certainly  not  true,  though  it  is  undoubtedly  often  rapid  and 
sometimes  eccentric.  The  author's  experience  is  for  these 
days  of  rapid  travel  limited,  but  after  shooting  snipe  at  dif- 
ferent seasons  in  the  British  Provinces,  in  Maine,  Massachu- 
setts, Rhode  Island,  Maryland,  Delaware,  Virginia,  and  North 
Carolina,  he  ventures  to  assert  that  they  almost  never  "zigzag" 
in  their  flight. 

Unless  there  is  a  high  wind,  or  the  birds  have  been  very  much 
persecuted,  they  fly  off,  four  times  out  of  five,  more  or  less 
rapidly  in  a  direct  line,  and  near  the  ground.  On  a  bright, 
warm,  quiet  day,  with  a  gentle  breeze,  they  afford  the  sports- 
man more  easy  shots  in  succession  than  any  other  game-bird 
of  New  England,  and,  indeed,  frequently  flutter  off  so  indo- 
lently that  to  shoot  them  is  a  mere  bagatelle  even  for  the  most 
indifferent  shot.  Snipe  usually  start  up  the  wind,  and,  if  the 
wind  is  high,  often  dart  away  fifteen  or  twenty  yards,  gradually 
ascending,  and  then  either  fall  away  gradually  before  the  wind 
till  they  cross  it  with  a  circumlinear  flight,  or,  by  throwing  up 
one  wing,  make  a  sharp  angle  in  the  direction  of  their  motion. 
But  the  abrupt  change  of  direction  is  not  common,  and  a  rapid 
repetition  of  it  rare.  Sometimes,  again,  they  go  off  up  wind, 
bearing  first  more  strongly  on  one  wing  than  on  the  other,  thus 


410  LAND-BIRDS    AND    GAME-BIRDS 

producing  a  sinuous  motion  in  regular  curves,  varying  a  few 
feet  on  either  side  from  a  right  line,  and  crossing  it,  perhaps, 
every  thirty  or  forty  feet.  Sometimes,  again,  they  start  by  a 
rapid  and  almost  perpendicular  ascent,  and  then  sag  away  from 
the  wind.  The  mode  of  flight  depends  of  course  on  certain 
conditions :  the  state  of  the  atmosphere,  the  force  of  the  wind, 
the  nature  of  the  ground,  the  season,  the  bird's  condition  of 
bod}*",  etc.  Snipe  almost  invariably  fly  into  the  wind  ;  if  a 
bunch  of  high  reeds,  a  fence,  or  a  line  of  trees,  is  in  the  way, 
or  if  for  any  other  reason  they  ascend  rapidly,  they  must  after- 
ward either  fall  off,  flying  across  or  down  the  wind,  or  else 
tack  up  into  it  to  get  headway.  Since  no  bird  can  with  rapid- 
idity  start  from  a  stationary  position  in  the  air  against  a  strong 
wind,  the  more  nearly  stationary  that  a  bird  is,  so  is  his  diffi- 
culty the  greater.  If,  on  the  contrary,  there  are  no  obstruc- 
tions, and  the  birds  jump  at  once  from  the  ground  into  the 
teeth  of  the  wind,  taking  a  nearly  horizontal  line,  there  is  less 
likelihood  of  their  tacking  or  falling  away,  for  it  is  not  so  neces- 
sary. In  spring,  the  shooting  is  often  more  difficult,  for  the 
birds  are  light  weights,  and  in  great  training  when  they  reach 
us.  They  are  both  migrating  and  mating,  and  often  seem  to 
be  in  a  state  of  restless  activity  and  nervous  excitement,  which 
makes  it  very  difficult  to  kill  or  even  to  approach  them.  So  it 
is  also  in  autumn,  when  the  birds  first  appear ;  they  are  fre- 
quently wild  and  active,  so  much  so  as  to  make  the  pursuit 
of  them  a  series  of  vexations ;  and  yet,  two  days  afterwards, 
the  very  same  birds,  having  got  fat  and  a  little  more  lazy, 
afford  delightful  sport. 

After  hearing  the  accepted  rules  condemned,  the  reader  may 
well  ask  for  some  substitute,  but  such  rules  are  like  rules  of  gram- 
mar ;  a  man  may  shoot  well,  and  speak  grammatical^,  knowing 
no  rules  ;  he  may  know  all  rules  and  yet  be  able  to  do  neither. 
Yet  to  know  what  others  have  learned  is  often  useful.  The 
success  of  sportsmen  is  more  often  due  to  their  manner  of 
getting  shots  than  to  their  manner  of  making  them.  The  chief 
difficulty  in  Snipe-shooting  is  the  sudden  and  unexpected  way 
in  which  the  birds  often  jump,  on  either  side  or  behind ;  but 


OF   NEW   ENGLAND.  411 

they  may  usually  be  marked  down  with  accuracy,  as  they  throw 
up  their  wings  to  alight,  and  they  should  then,  as  always,  be 
approached  down  wind,  no  matter  how  great  a  detour  is  neces- 
sary. By  a  study  of  their  habits  the  sportsman  will  soon  find 
upon  what  days  and  in  what  places  they  may  be  most  easily 
and  successfully  shot.  More  may  generally  be  killed  by  a  vigor- 
ous walker  without  a  dog  than  with  one,  if  one  prefers  birds  to 
pleasure.  As  to  the  shooting,  as  in  all  shooting  on  the  wing, 
you  cannot  shoot  too  quickly  or  too  deliberately  ;  when  to  fire 
quickly  and  when  deliberately  is  to  be  learned  by  practice  only. 
As  for  a  precise  rule,  an  old  friend  used  to  say :  "Pull,  as  soon 
as  the  gun  touches  the  shoulder,  if  not  sooner."  There  is 
humor  in  all  wisdom,  but  perhaps  an  undue  proportion  in  this 
advice  for  practical  use.  All  that  can  be  said  is  :  "  Shoot  as 
soon  as  you  know  that  the  gun  is  right ;  the  sooner,  the  better." 
After  blowing  a  few  birds  to  pieces,  you  will  learn  how  far  to 
modify  this  rule.  Many  birds  will  be  missed  by  being  under- 
shot, and  many  by  not  being  shot  at  well  ahead.  Some  sports- 
man use  number  8  shot ;  some  number  12  and  intermediate 
sizes.  Number  nine  does  very  well. 

Autumn  is  the  proper  season  for  Snipe-shooting,  both  be- 
cause the  birds  are  then  more  certainly  found  and  because  they 
are  then  very  delicious  morsels  for  the  table.  With  us,  when 
they  arrive  in  spring,  they  are  lean,  dry,  and  sinewy,  from  long 
and  hard  exercise  ;  the  period  of  breeding  has  already  begun, 
and  well-developed  eggs  may  often  be  found  in  the  females. 
There  is  as  much  difference  between  the  rich,  tender,  and  juicy 
meat  of  the  well-fed,  lazy,  autumn  bird,  and  the  meagre,  dry, 
and  sinewy  flesh  of  the  spring  traveler,  as  between  that  of  a 
stall-fed  ox  and  that  of  a  dray-horse.  Yet  there  are  many  to 
whose  coarse  palates  no  difference  appears.  No  doubt,  it  is 
hard  to  relinquish  all  field-sports  in  the  spring ;  without  such 
relief  the  period  of  inaction  is  long  and  tedious ;  one's  fingers 
itch  for  the  trigger.  Yet  spring  Snipe-shooting  is  a  sorry 
pastime,  and  a  wasteful  one,  unworthy  of  the  true  sportsman. 

(d).  The  notes  of  the  Snipe  are  not  susceptible  of  satisfac- 
tory description ;  their  common  note  being  a  peculiar  squeak, 
while  their  extraordinary  love-note  is  usually  called  "  bleating." 


APPENDIX.  413 


APPENDIX. 

A.    Ornithological  Calendar  for  Eastern  Massachusetts. 

(Notes  on  the  Insessores,  or  land-birds,  only,  excluding 
game-birds,  shore-birds,  and  waders.) 

§  I.  JANUARY.  Visitants  and  residents  (those  in  brackets 
being  always  very  rare,  those  italicized  being  (rare  or)  absent 
during  many  winters,  and  those  marked  with  an  asterisk  (*) 
spending  the  winter,  for  the  most  part,  more  to  the  southward). 
[Black  Hawks],  Blue  Jays,*  "Butcher-birds,"  Cedar-birds,* 
"  Chickadees,"  Crossbills,  Crows,  Downy  Woodpeckers,  Golden- 
crowned  "Wrens,"  Golden-winged  Woodpeckers,*  Goldfinches, 
Goshawks,1  [Great  Gray  Owls],  Great  Horned  Owls,  Hairy 
Woodpeckers,1  [Hawk  Owls],  hawks  (several,  which  are  sum- 
mer-residents), [Ipswich  Sparrows] ?,  [Jerfalcons],  Kingfish- 
ers,* ?  Lapland  Longspurs,1  Meadow  Larks,*  nuthatches, 
owls  (several,  which  are  summer-residents),  Pine  Finches,  Pine 
Grosbeaks,  Purple  Finches,*  ?  Red-bellied  Nuthatches,*  Red 
Crossbills,  Red-polls,  Red-tailed  Hawks,  Robins,*  [Rough- 
legged  Hawks],  Ruby-crowned  Wrens,*  Shore  Larks,  (G.N.) 
Shrikes,  Snow-birds,  Snow  Buntings,  Song  Sparrows,*  [Three- 
toed  Woodpeckers],  Tree  Sparrows,  White-bellied  Nuthatches,* 
White-winged  Crossbills,  Wild  Pigeons,*  woodpeckers  (see 
above),  Winter  Wrens,*  ?  and  various  sea-birds,  etc. 

NOTE.  The  Black-throated  Blue  and  Yellow-rumped  War- 
blers, and  also  the  Red-winged  Blackbirds,  have  been  known 
exceptionally  to  pass  the  winter  here,  and  the  Blue  Birds  are 
said  to  have  been  seen  here  in  January. 

§  II.  FEBRUARY.  The  same  birds  may  be  found  here  in  Feb- 
ruary as  in  January.  In  the  latter  part  of  this  month,  the 
Blue  Birds,  or  even  the  Red-winged  Blackbirds,  sometimes 
come ;  and  the  Great  Horned  Owls  sometimes  lay  their  eggs. 

§  III.   MARCH. 

lst-15th.  The  Song  Sparrows  and  Snow-birds  sing.  The 
Blue  Birds  and  Blackbirds  usually  arrive  from  the  South ;  the 
Song  Sparrows,  and  Robins  (?),  become  more  abundant. 


*  Rare. 


414  APPENDIX. 

15th-31st.  The  Robins,  Cedar-birds,  Meadow  Larks,  (and 
Golden-winged  Woodpeckers)  become  more  abundant.  The 
Rusty  Blackbirds,  Fox  Sparrows  (20-25),  Bay-winged  Bunt- 
ings ?  (25-31),  Cow-birds  (25-31,  ?)  and  Pewees?  (25-31),  ap- 
pear. Many  winter-birds  move  to  the  northward. 

§  IV.  APRIL. 

During  this  month,  the  Screech  Owls  and  others  lay  their 
eggs,  as  do  the  Duck  Hawks.  The  [Titlarks],  Yellow-bellied 
Woodpeckers,  Winter  Wrens,  Night  "  Hawks,"  [Wild  Pigeons], 
Carolina  Doves,  Crow  Blackbirds,  and  [Purple  Finches]  appear  ; 
but  with  great  irregularity.  Those  inclosed  in  brackets  are 
said  often  to  pass  the  winter  here ;  those  italicized  to  often 
arrive  in  March,  but  the  Night  "Hawks"  frequently  do  not 
come  until  May.  Many  winter-birds  move  to  the  northward  in 
April,  and  other  birds  come  from  the  South  with  more  or  less 
regularity  at  about  the  following  dates. 

1st.  (Pine  Warblers,  usually  later),  Bay-winged  Buntings, 
Cow-birds,  Kingfishers,  and  Pewees. 

10th  (or  earlier).  Whi,te-breasted  Swallows  and  Swamp  Spar- 
rows. 

15th.  Chipping  Sparrows  and  Field  Sparrows  (usually  not 
until  the  20th),  also  Hermit  Thrushes,  Pine  Warblers,  Red-poll 
Warblers,  Ruby-crowned  "Wrens,"  Savannah  Sparrows  (Sea- 
side and  Sharp-tailed  Finches  ?).  The  Crows,  Red-tailed  and 
Red-shouldered  Hawks,  sometimes  lay  their  eggs. 

20th.  Chipping,  Field,  (and  Savannah  ?)  Sparrows  usually 
arrive. 

In  the  latter  part  of  this  month,  the  Crows,  and  many  birds 
of  prey,  may  lay  their  eggs.  The  following  birds  may  arrive  at 
this  time,  though  often  not  until  May,  viz. : — Barn  Swallows, 
Black  and  White  "Creepers,"  Brown  Thrushes,  Least  Fly- 
catchers, Purple  Martins,  Solitary  Vireos,  Towhee  Buntings, 
White-throated  Sparrows  (sometimes  on  the  20th),  and  "Yel- 
low-rump" Warblers. 

NOTE.  The  dates  of  arrival  can  only  be  approximately  given, 
and  it  is  to  be  remembered  then  the  males  of  many  birds  arrive 
before  the  females. 

§  V.   MAT.     About  the 

1st,  the  Barn  Swallows,  Black  and  White  "Creepers,"  Brown 
Thrushes,  Cliff  (or  Eave)  Swallows,  Least  Flycatchers,  Night 
"Hawks,"  Purple  Martins,  Solitary  Vireos,  Towhee  Buntings, 
White-throated  Sparrows,  "Yellow-rump"  Warblers,  and  Yel- 


APPENDIX.  415 

low-winged  Sparrows  often  arrive,  though  sometimes  earlier  or 
later. 

5th,  the  Baltimore  Orioles  (?),  Black  and  White  Creepers, 
Black-throated  Green  Warblers,2  Brown  Thrushes,  Cat-birds, 
Chimney  Swifts,  Toivhee  Buntings,  (Wilson's  Thrushes,  Yellow 
Warblers,  usually  about  the  8th),  and  "  Yellow-rump"  Warblers 
arrive,  those  italicized  (at  least  the  B.  T.  and  T.  B.)  generally 
corning  earlier. 

10th,  the  loitering  Fox  Sparrows,  and  various  winter-birds, 
such  as  the  Golden-crowned  "  Wrens,"  Snow-birds,  and  Tree 
Sparrows,  finally  disappear  ;  the  Blue  Birds,  Robins,  Song  Spar- 
rows, Bay-winged  Buntings  or  Grass  Finches,  Kingfishers, 
and  Pewees  often  lay  their  eggs,  chiefly  the  first  three ;  and 
the  Baltimore  Orioles,  Blackburnian  Warblers,  "Black-cap" 
Warblers,  Black-throated  Blue  Warblers,  Blue  Yellow-backed 
Warblers,  Bobolinks,  Chestnut-sided  Warblers,  Connecticut 
Warblers,  Golden-crowned  "Thrushes"  (or  "Oven-birds"), 
Golden-winged  Warblers,  House  Wrens,  Hummingbirds,  King- 
birds, Maryland  "Yellow-throats,"  Nashville  Warblers,  Red- 
starts, Rose-breasted  Grosbeaks,  Warbling  Vireos,  Water 
"Thrushes,"  Wilson's  Thrushes  (usually  earlier),  Wood 
Thrushes,  Yellow  Warblers,  and  Yellow-throated  Vireos  arrive. 
(See  loth  ad  fin.) 

15th,  the  Pine  Warblers  and  Swamp  Sparrows  lay  their  eggs 
(the  former  usually  later)  ;  the  Bank  Swallows,  Black  and  Yel- 
low Warblers,  Black-billed  Cuckoos,  Cape  May  Warblers,  Great 
Crested  Flycatchers,  Indigo  Birds,  Prairie  Warblers,  Red-eyed 
Vireos,  Scarlet  Tanagers,  Swainson's  Thrushes,  Whippoor- 
wills,  White-eyed  Vireos,  and  Yellow-billed  Cuckoos  arrive. 
At  this  time,  or  more  often  earlier,  Cooper's  Hawks,  Marsh 
Hawks,  Sharp-shinned  Hawks,  and  Sparrow  Hawks  lay  their 
eggs.  Swainson's  Thrushes  often  come  earlier. 

20th,  the  Bay-breasted,  and  B  and  Y,  Warblers,  "  Black- 
polls,"  Canada  "Flycatchers,"  Mourning  Warblers,  Olive-sided 
Flycatchers,  Orchard  Orioles,  Tennessee  Warblers,  Trailll  Fly- 
catchers (and  White-crowned  Sparrows2?)  arrive.  About  this 
time  (earlier  or  later),  the  (Red-winged)  Blackbirds,  Blue  Jays, 
Pewees,  Field  and  Savannah  Sparrows,  Downy  and  Golden- 
winged  Woodpeckers,  lay  their  eggs. 

25th,  the  Canada  "  Flycatchers"  or  Warblers,  Wood  Pewees, 
and  Yellow-bellied  Flycatchers  usually  arrive.  The  Wood 
Thrushes  (sometimes, —  also  the  Wilson's  Thrushes?),  the 


» These  birds  sometimes  appear  in  April. 


416  APPENDIX. 

Barn  Swallows,  Brown  Thrushes,  Chickadees,  Cliff  Swallows, 
Crow  Blackbirds,  Meadow  Larks,  Pine  Warblers,  Towhee 
Buntings,  and  White-breasted  Swallows  lay  their  eggs. 

§  VI.   JUNE.     About  the 

1st,  the  last  migrants  are  seen,  such  as  the  "Black-polls" 
and  Canada  "Flycatchers ;"  and  at  this  time  (or  later,  particu- 
larly in  the  case  of  the  flycatchers,  except  the  Pewee,  the  Hum- 
mingbirds, vireos,  Bank  Swallows,  and  many  warblers),  the 
Baltimore  Orioles,  Black-billed  Cuckoos,  Bobolinks,  Cat-birds, 
Chimney  Swifts,  Chipping  Sparrows,  Golden-crowned  "Thrush- 
es" (or  "Oven-birds"),  Indigo  Birds,  (Marsh  Wrens  ?),  Night 
"  Hawks,"  Purple  Finches,  Rose-breasted  Grosbeaks,  Whippoor- 
wills,  Wilson's  Thrushes,  Wood  Thrushes,  Yellow-billed  Cuck- 
oos, Yellow-winged  Sparrows,  the  flycatchers  (except  the 
Common  Pewee),  the  vireos,  Tanagers,  Hummingbirds,  and 
most  of  the  warblers,  lay  their  eggs.  The  Cedar-birds,  Gold- 
finches, Orchard  Orioles,  Wood  Pewees,  and  perhaps  other 
birds  (inclusive  of  the  Marsh  Wrens  ?)  rarely  lay  their  eggs 
before  the  middle  of  the  month,  the  first  two  sometimes  not 
until  July. 

NOTE.  The  above  dates,  given  for  the  neighborhood  of 
Boston,  bear  no  reference  to  second  broods.  The  names  of  sev- 
eral birds  have  been  purposely  omitted,  chiefly  from  difficulty 
in  satisfactorily  stating  or  approximating  the  dates. 

§  VII.  JULY.  The  following  (insessorian)  birds  are  summer- 
residents  of  Massachusetts,  who  have  been  known  to  breed  here 
since  1870.  Acadian  Owls,3  Baltimore  Orioles,  Bank  Swallows, 
Barn  Swallows,  Barred  Owls,  Bay-winged  Buntings,  Black 
and  White  "  Creepers,"  Black-billed  Cuckoos,  Blackburnian 
Warblers,3  Black-throated  Blue  Warblers3?,  Black-throated 
Buntings,4  Black-throated  Green  Warblers,  Blue  Birds,  Blue 
Jays,  Blue  Yellow-backed  Warblers,3  Bobolinks,  Broad-winged 
HawKs,3  Brown  Creepers,  Brown  Thrushes,  Canada  "Fly- 
catchers," Carolina  Doves,  Cat-birds,  Chestnut-sided  War- 
blers, Chickadees,  Chimney  Swifts,  Chipping  Sparrows,  Cliff 
Swallows,  Cooper's  Hawks,  Cow-birds,  Crows,  Crow  Black- 
birds, Downy  Woodpeckers,  Duck  Hawks,  Field  Sparrows, 
Fish  Hawks,  Golden-crowned  "  Thrushes,"  Golden-winged 
Warblers,  Golden-winged  Woodpeckers,  Goldfinches,  Gos- 


3  (Very)  rare  in  summer  so  far  to  the  southward. 

*  Very  much  more  common  to  the  southward  of  New  England. 


APPENDIX.  417 

hawks,3  Great-Crested  Flycatchers,  Great  Carolina  Wrens? 
(just  discovered),  Great  Horned  Owls,  Hairy  Woodpeckers,3 
Henslow's  Buntings,4  Hermit  Thrushes',3  House  Wrens,  Hum- 
mingbirds, Indigo  Birds,  King-birds,  Kingfishers,  Least  Pewees, 
Lincoln's  Sparrows,  Long-billed  Marsh  Wrens,  Long-eared 
Owls,  Marsh  Hawks,  Maryland  "  Yellow-throats,"  Meadow 
Larks,  Nashville  Warblers,3  Night  "  Hawks,"  Olive-sided  Fly- 
catchers,3 Orchard  Orioles,4  Pewees,  Pigeon  Hawks,3  Pine 
Warblers,  Prairie  Warblers,  Purple  Finches,  Purple  Martins, 
Red-bellied  Nuthatches?,3  Red-eyed  Vireos,  Red-shouldered 
Hawks,  Redstarts,  Red-tailed  Hawks,  Redrwinged  Blackbirds, 
Robins,  Rose-breasted  Grosbeaks,  Savannah  Sparrows,  Scarlet 
Tanagers,  Screech  Owls,  Sea-side  Finches,4  Sharp-shinned 
Hawks,  Sharp-tailed  Finches,4  Short-billed  Marsh  Wrens,  Short- 
eared  Owls,  Snow-birds,3  Solitary  Vireos,3  Song  Sparrows, 
Sparrow  Hawks,  Swamp  Sparrows,  Towhee  Buntings,  Traill's 
Flycatchers,3  Warbling  Vireos,  Water  "  Thrushes,"3  Whippoor- 
wills,  White-bellied  Nuthatches,  White-breasted  Swallows, 
White-eyed  Vireos,  Wild  Pigeons,  Wood  Pewees,  Wood 
Thrushes,  YeUoiv-bellied  Flycatchers?,  Yellow-bellied  Woodpeck- 
ers,5 Yellow-billed  Cuckoos,  Yellow- breasted  Chats?,4  Yellow- 
throated  Vireos,  Yellow  Warblers,  and  Yellow-winged  Sparrows 
(108).  The  following  other  birds  (of  whom  the  list  is  probably 
incomplete)  also  breed  here : — Arctic  Terns,  Bitterns,  Black 
(or  Dusky)  Ducks,  Carolina  Rails,  Coot4  (Fulica  Americana), 
Great  Blue  Herons,  Green  Herons,  "Killdeer"  Plover,  Laughing 
Gulls,  Least  Bitterns,4  Least  Terns,  Little  Blue  Herons?,4 
Loons,5  Night  Herons,  Pinnated  Grouse6  (or  Prairie  Hens), 
Piping  Plover,  Quail,  Ruffed  Grouse  (or  "Partridges"  of  N. 
E.),  Roseate  Terns,  Solitary  Sandpipers,3  Spotted  Sandpipers, 
Summer  (or  Wood)  Ducks,  Summer  *4  Yellow-legs,"  Teal?,5 
Upland  Plover,  Virginia  Rails,  u  Wiilets,"  Wilson's  Terns,  and 
Woodcock  (28).  (Those  italicized  are  very  rare,  at  least  as 
summer-residents.) 

NOTE.  The  eggs  of  all  the  above  birds  form  a  nearly  or  quite 
complete  collection  of  the  birds'  eggs  of  Massachusetts.  The 
Pine  Finches  and  Snow  Buntings  have  been  known  to  breed 
(altogether  exceptionally)  at  Cambridge  and  near  Springfield 
respectively ;  several  birds,  such  as  the  Bald  Eagles  and  Pil- 
eated  Woodpeckers,  have  been  so  far  driven  from  the  State,  as 
probably  to  breed  here  no  longer.  In  regard  to  the  dates 


c  Confined  in  summer  to  Western  Massachusetts. 
«  See  p.  387. 

28 


418  APPENDIX. 

already  given,  there  is  apparently  evidence  -that  our  summer- 
residents  may  have  formerly  arrived  and  laid  their  eggs  some- 
what earlier  than  they  do  now. 

In  Juty,  singing  is  much  less  constant  than  in  May  or  June, 
decreasing  as  summer  advances,  though  occasionally  heard  in 
autumn  (chiefly  from  the  finches),  and  rarely  in  winter  (from 
the  Song  and  Tree  Sparrows). 

§  VIII.   AUGUST. 

During  this  month,  many  birds  leave  their  summer-haunts, 
and  even  become  gregarious,  and  some  journey  to  the  southward, 
as  is  occasionally  observable  even  in  the  latter  part  of  July. 
The  Goldfinches,  however,  sometimes  lay  their  first  set  of  eggs 
after  July,  during  *which  month  many  other  birds  have  their 
second  or  even  third  broods. 

§  IX.    SEPTEMBER. 

During  this  month,  the  (smaller)  hawks  are  often  abundant, 
many  migrating,  but  the  migrations  of  our  birds  of  prey 
cannot  be  easily  determined  as  regards  the  dates.  The  Balti- 
more Orioles,  Bobolinks,  Chimney  Swifts,  cuckoos,  flycatchers 
(except  the  Pewees  and  occasionally  the  Great  Crested  Fly- 
catchers), Henslow's  Buntings,  House  Wrens,  Hummingbirds, 
Indigo  Birds,  Rose-breasted  Grosbeaks,  swallows  (of  whom 
some  go  in  August),  Tanagers,  vireos,  warblers  (or  most  of 
them:  see  October),  Wilson's  Thrushes,  and  Yellow-winged 
Sparrows  finally  disappear,  many  occurring  as  migrants.  Some 
are  to  be  seen  only  in  the  first  week,  but  others  may  occur  up 
to  late  dates,  as  the  Black-throated  Blue  Warblers  (30th), 
Golden-crowned  u  Thrushes"  (26th),  Hummingbirds  (23rd), 
and  White-bellied  Swallows  (28th).  The  Red-winged  Black- 
birds generally  leave  the  meadows,  and  associate  in  the  grain 
and  stubble-fields,  etc. ;  the  Wild  Pigeons  appear  in  large 
flocks  ;  and  a  majority  of  birds  are  gregarious,  particularly  the 
White-bellied  Swallows,  who,  previous  to  their  departure,  often 
gather  "upon  the  salt  marshes"  "  literally  by  millions."  Even 
hawks  occasionally  travel  in  companies.  In  September,  White- 
throated  Sparrows  and  other  birds  appear  from  the  North. 

NOTE.  It  has  generally  been  in  autumn  that  accidental 
stragglers,  whose  usual  habitat  is  more  than  a  thousand  miles 
away,  have  occurred  in  Massachusetts. 

§  X.   OCTOBER. 

During  this  month,  the  "  Black-poll"  Warblers,  Brown  Creep- 
ers, Golden-crowned  "  Wrens,"  nuthatches,  Ruby-crowned 


APPENDIX.  419 

"Wrens,"  Rusty  Blackbirds,  Titlarks,  Winter  Wrens,  and 
" Yellow-rump"  Warblers,  are  generally  abundant;  and  many 
winter-birds  arrive  from  the  North,  'in  the  latter  part,  the 
Sharp-tailed  Finches  and  many  Song  Sparrows  finally  disap- 
pear, and  the  Fox  Sparrows  come  from  the  North.  About  the 

1st,  the  Brown  Thrushes,  Red-eyed  Vireos  (latest  date,  Oct. 
3rd),  and  Towhee  Buntings  disappear,  the  Olive-backed 
Thrushes  arrive  from  the  North,  and  the  Crow  Blackbirds  (as 
well  as  the  variety  of  Bronzed  Blackbirds)  wander  about  in 
large  flocks. 

5th,  the  last  Black- throated  Green  Warblers  depart. 

10th,  the  last  Pine  Warblers  (latest  date,  however,  Oct.  16th) 
and  Cat-birds  depart. 

15th,  the  "Chippers,"  Field  Sparrows,  Pewees- (latest  date, 
Oct.  16th),  Wood  Thrushes,  and  most  of  the  Blue  Birds,  Cow- 
birds,  Meadow  Larks,  Purple  Finches,  Red-winged  Blackbirds, 
and  Robins  disappear. 

§  XI.    NOVEMBER. 

During  this  month,  many  winter-birds  usually  come  from  the 
North,  and,  as  in  spring,  u bird-waves"  may  occur;  Fox  Spar- 
rows are  common,  and  Hermit  Thrushes  finally  disappear.  In 
the  early  part  of  November,  the  last  Bay-winged  Buntings, 
Blackbirds,  Blue  Birds,  Savannah  Sparrows,  and  Swamp  Spar- 
rows, move  to  the  southward.  I  have  seen  Great-crested  Fly- 
catchers so  late  as  Nov.  1st,  and  White-throated  Sparrows  on 
the  14th. 

§  XII.   DECEMBER. 

I  have  seen  Fox  Sparrows,  the  last  loiterers  among  our  fall- 
migrants,  so  late  as  the  9th  of  December.  During  this  month, 
additional  winter-birds  may  arrive  from  the  North ;  and  the 
same  birds  generally  occur  here  as  in  January  (§  I). 


B.   Distribution  of  the  Birds  of  Neio  England. 

A  list  of  the  birds  of  New  England,  confined  in  the  breed- 
ing-season principally  or  wholly  to  the  district  of  the  Allegha- 
nian  Fauna  (southward  of  the  44th  parallel  of  latitude),  or 
Southern  New  England.  Wood  Thrush,  (Mocking-bird),  Cat- 
bird (?),  Brown  Thrush,  Long-billed  Marsh  Wren,  Short-billed 
Marsh  Wren,  Golden-winged  Warbler,  Prairie  Warbler,  (Yel- 
low-breasted Chat),  Yellow-throated  Vireo,  White-eyed  Vireo, 


420  APPENDIX. 

I 

(Summer  Red  Bird),  Scarlet  Tanager,  Henslow's  Bunting,  Yel- 
low-winged Sparrow,  (Sea-side  Finch),  Sharp-tailed  Finch, 
Field  Sparrow,  Lincoln's  Sparrow,  Black-throated  Bunting, 
Rose-breasted  Grosbeak,  (Cardinal  Grosbeak),  Towhee  Bunt- 
ing, Meadow  Lark,  Baltimore  Oriole,  Orchard  Oriole,  Purple 
Grakle  (?),  Black-billed  Cuckoo,  Yellow-billed  Cuckoo,  (Red- 
headed Woodpecker),  (Barn  Owl),  Carolina  Dove,  (Prairie 
Hen),  and  Quail  (also  several  water-birds,  etc.). 

A  list  of  the  birds  of  New  England,  confined  in  the  breed- 
ing-season principally  or  wholly  to  the  district  of  the  Canadian 
Fauna  (northward  of  the  44th  parallel  of  latitude) ,  or  Northern 
New  England.  Hermit  Thrush,  Swainson's  Thrush,  Water 
"  Thrush,"  Golden-crowned  "  Wren,"  Brown  Creeper,  Red- 
bellied  Nuthatch,  Winter  Wren,  "Blue  Yellow-back,"  Mourning 
Warbler,  Nashville  Warbler  (?),  Tennessee  Warbler,  "Black- 
throated  Blue,"  "  Yellow-rump,"  Bay-breasted  Warbler,  Black- 
burnian  Warbler,  "Black-poll,"1  Black  and  Yellow  Warbler, 
Cape  May  Warbler,  ("  Black-cap"),  Canada  "  Flycatcher,"  Sol- 
itary Vireo,  Great  Northern  Shrike,1  (Common  Crossbill), 
(White-winged  Crossbill),  White-throated  Sparrow,  Snow-bird, 
Rusty  Blackbird,  (Bronzed  Grakle),  Canada  Jay,1  Traill's  Fly- 
catcher, Yellow-bellied  Flycatcher,  Hairy  Woodpecker,  Yel- 
low-bellied Woodpecker,  "  Log-cock,"  Black-backed  Three-toed 
Woodpecker,  Banded  Three-toed  Woodpecker,  (Acadian  Owl), 
Golden  Eagle,  Bald  Eagle,  Fish  Hawk,  Goshawk,  (Pigeon 
Hawk),  Broad-winged  Hawk,  Wild  Pigeon,  and  Spruce  Part- 
ridge ;  also  several  water-birds,  etc. 

A  list  of  the  birds  hitherto  known  in  New  England,  only  as 
migrants  or  winter-visitants  (the  latter  in  brackets).  Gray- 
cheeked  Thrush,  Ruby-crowned  "  Wren"(?),  Titlark,2  Connect- 
icut Warbler,  Red-poll  Warbler,  White-crowned  Sparrow,  and 
Fox  Sparrow.  [Also  (Varied  Thrush),  Hudsonian  Titmouse 
(?),  (Bohemian  Waxwing),  Butcher-bird  (?),  Pine  Grosbeak, 
Red-poll,  Snow  Bunting,3  Lapland  Longspur,  Ipswich  Sparrow, 
Tree  Sparrow,  Shore  Lark,  Great  Gray  Owl,  Snowy  Owl,  Hawk 
Owl,  Richardson's  Owl,  Gyrfalcon,  Rough-legged  Hawk,  and 
Black  Hawk.]  To  the  above  list  are  to  be  added  the  names  of 
many  water-birds,  shore-birds,  etc. 


1  These  birds  scarcely  breed  except  in  the  most  northern  and  eastern  portions. 

»  A  few  may  sometimes  winter. 

»  With  one  extraordinary  exception.    See  p.  185. 


APPENDIX.  421 

C.D.     The  Use  of  the  Keys. 

It  is  impossible,  so  far  as  is  known,  positively  to  identify 
many  eggs,  without  some  knowledge  of  the  nest  and  parent- 
birds.  In  the  following  "Key  to  the  Eggs  of  Massachusetts" 
(C),  the  position,  and  sometimes  the  structure,  of  the  nest  is 
the  chief  point  dwelt  upon  ;  the  colors  of  the  parent-birds  be- 
ing mentioned,  only  when  the  best  means  of  identification. 
On  observing  a  bird  for  the  purposes  of  this  Key,  note  the  gen- 
eral coloration  (as  in  the  Downy  Woodpecker,  black  and 
white),  particularly  above,  the  color  of  the  breast,  whether 
streaked  (spotted}  or  not,  the  color  of  the  crown  and  throat,  or 
of  the  entire  head,  and  the  color  of  the  tail,  whether  the  outer 
feathers  are  white  or  not  (best  observed  as  the  bird  flies). 
Observe  any  prominent  markings,  and,  in  large  hawks,  the 
coloration  of  the  tail  beneath.  Eggs  plainly  colored  belong  to 
§  I ;  eggs  which  are  marked  (not  stained)  to  §  II.  In  the 
former,  the  uniform  color  (as  white)  leads  to  the  sections  let- 
tered A,  B,  C.  In  the  latter,  the  ground-color  leads  to  similar 
divisions.  The  subsections,  (a)  etc.,  are  arranged  according 
to  the  position  of  the  nest.  Under  each  subsection,  the  list- 
numbers  run  continuous!}'.  Glance  down  the  column  of  the  next 
figures  (the  extreme  length  and  breadth  of  the  eggs  expressed 
in  hundredths  of  an  inch),  until  you  find  a  size  apparently 
corresponding  to  that  of  the  egg  in  hand.  If  there  are  several 
eggs  together  in  the  Key  of  nearly  the  same  size,  read  across 
the  page  until  the  right  description  is  reached.  You  will  often 
find  some  characteristic  or  means  of  distinction  in  the  names 
of  the  birds.  The  figures  at  the  end  refer  to  the  main  work. 
List-numbers  (to  the  extreme  left)  in  parenthesis  indicate  rarity 
of  the  corresponding  nest  in  Massachusetts,  or  at  least  rarity 
under  the  circumstances  mentioned.  ^>  means  more  than;  <^ 
means  less  than.  Before  two  numbers  connected  by  a  cross 
(X),  these  signs  affect  both.  £  means  male;  9  means  female. 
Occasional^,  as  is  the  case  with  the  Bald  Eagles,  birds  breed 
before  attaining  their  full  dress. 

The  "  Key  to  the  Land-birds  of  New  England  "  (D)  has  been 
arranged  as  much  by  the  coloration  of  birds  as  possible,  but  it 
cannot  be  used  without  having  the  bird  in  question  at  hand. 

On  the  first  page,  follow  the  lines  of  the  table,  and  also  the 
divisions  (beginning  at  the  right),  until  a  reference  is  reached. 
These  references  are  to  sections  of  the  main  work,  unless  stated 
to  be  to  those  of  the  Key.  The  former  are  in  Arabic,  the  other 
in  Roman,  numerals.  On  reaching  the  Key-section  referred  to, 
find  (if  it  is  divided)  the  right  division  marked  with  a  capital 


422  APPENDIX. 

letter,  or  even  the  subdivision,  if  any,  which  is  marked  by  a 
small  letter.  Glance  down  the  column  at  the  left  (not  ruled 
off),  which  gives  the  chief  color,  the  most  conspicuous,  or  the 
one  best  characterizing  the  species,  until  you  find  the  color 
which  applies  to  the  bird  in  hand.  (This  column  is  in  many 
places  wanting,  or  mentions  some  other  characteristic  than  the 
chief  color.)  Work  to  the  right  until  a  satisfactory  name  or 
reference  is  reached.  A  glance  at  the  size-column,  giving 
the  length  in  inches,  will  often  be  an  assistance,  or  one  at  the 
list  of  birds,  in  whose  names  you  may  find  expressed  some 
characteristic.  To  measure  a  bird,  refer  to  §  V  of  the  Intro- 
duction. Any  characteristic  written  on  a  line  is  supposed  to 
be  also  written  on  all  the  lower  lines,  so  far  as  empty  directly 
beneath,  until  a  line  is  reached  containing  words  to  the  left  of 
that  space.  Observe  carefully  all  foot-notes,  and  refer  to  §  T 
of  the  Introduction  for  any  descriptive  terms  not  understood. 
$  means  male;  9  means  female.  ^>  »means  more  than;  <^ 
means  less  than.  Other  abbreviations  or  abbreviated  expres- 
sions will  be  easily  understood  (as  yg.  for  young,  wh.  for 
white,  head-sides  for  sides  of  the  head).  —  —  frequently 
is  employed  to  mean  ditto.  The  general  plan  is  one  of  reduc- 
tion to  a  limited  choice  by  the  use  of  various  divisions,  of 
working  from  the  beginning  toward  the  end,  of  following  cer- 
tain alternations,  and  of  working  from  left  to  right. 


APPENDIX.  423 


C.     A  KEY  TO  THE  EGGS  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 

This  list,  limited  to  the  eggs  previously  described  in  this 
volume,  is  not  wholly  reliable,  since  several  birds,  not  yet 
known  to  have  actually  bred  in  Massachusetts,  may  do  so 
occasional!}7,  and  since  eggs  vary  greatly,  often  presenting 
abnormal  forms,  or  forms  like  those  of  other  kinds. 

§1.    Eggs  Unmarked. 

A.    Color,  white.i 

(a).  Laid  in  holes  of  trees  (or  posts  and  stumps). 

1.  >  1-25X1-00.    Screech  Owl.    §26,  V. 

(2).  Av.  l-OOX'90.    Bird  entirely  brown  and  white.    Acadian  Owl.    §26,  IV. 
3.    >  1-00X80,  <  1-25X1-00.    Bird  not  red-headed.    Pigeon   Woodpecker.    §25.1, 
(4).  >rOOX-80,<l-2f>Xl-00.    Bird  red-headed.    Red-headed  Woodpecker.    §25,11. 
(5).  Av.  -95X-80.     Bird;  crown  scarlet,  upper  breast  black.     Yellow-bellied  Wood- 
pecker.   §25,  III. 

(6).  Generally  >  -80X  65.    Bird  >  9  in.,  (chiefly)  black  and  white.    Hairy  Wood- 
pecker.   §2.%V,  A. 

7.    Generally  <  -80X'65.    Bird  <  7  in.,r(chiefly)  black  and  white.    Downy  Wood- 
pecker.   §25,  V,  B. 

(8).  Av.  -75X-55.    Bird  tretallic  green  above.     White-bellied  Swallow*    §12,  III. 
(9).  Av.  -80X60,  usually  blue.    Bird  with  chestnut  breast.    Blue  Bird.*    §2,1. 
[The  Martins  and  Chimney  Swifts  no  longer  (  ?)  build  in  stumps  (etc.),  in  N.  E.] 

(6).  Nests  built  in  trees  (or  bushes),  but  not  in  holes. 

(1).  >  2-75X2  25.    White,  very  impure  or  dirty.    Bald  Eagle.    §27,  VIII. 

2.  2-25  long  (or  more).    Not  often  pure  white.     Great  Horned  Owl.3    §26,  VI. 

3.  2-00  long  or  less;  subspherical.    Barred  Owl.    §26,  III,  B. 

4.  Av.  1-90X1-50.     Not  spherical.     Generally  bluish;  often  marked.    Cooper'* 

Hawk.    §27,  III,  B. 

5.  Av.  1-60X1-35.    Nearly  spherical.    Long-eared  Owl.    §26,  II,  A. 

6.  Av.  1-45X1-20.    Generally  marked.    Sharp-shinned  Hawk.    §27,  III,  A. 

7.  Av.  1-50X1-10;  elliptical.    Nest  loose  and  frail.     Wild  Pigeon.    §29,1. 

8.  Av.  I-IOX'80.    Nest  loose  and  frail.     Carolina  Dove.    §29,11. 

9.  Av.  -75X'55,  often  bluish.    Nest  in  bush  or  shrubbery.    Indigo  Bird.    §  15,  XX. 
10.    Av.  -63X-50,  bluish.    Nest  in  bush  or  shade-tree.     Goldfinch.    §  15,  IV,  A. 
(11).  Av.  -70X'55.    Pure  wh.   Nest  in  woods  (  ?).    Yellow-bellied  Flycatcher.  §  19,V,  C. 
12.    Av.  -62X'50.    Nest  in  (woods)  orchard  or  shade-tree.    Bird  olive-gray  above. 

Least  Pewee.    §  19,  V,  B. 


1  Many  water-birds  lay  large  white  eggs,  some  in  hollow  trees,  but  these  are  all 
tinged  with  blue,  green,  or  buff.    Some  of  the  petrels,  however,  lay  a  single  small 
pure  white  egg,  but  none  do  so  here. 

2  The  nests  of  these  birds  are  usually  well  lined,  the  Blue  Bird's  generally  most 
warmly;  those  of  the  woodpeckers  are  rarely  so. 

8  See  B,  (a),  (1). 


424  APPENDIX. 

13.    «) '50  long.    Hummingbird.    §22,1. 

[The  eggs  of  the  buzzard-hawks  and  of  Traill's  Flycatcher  may  sometimes  be 
white.    See  §11,  A,  d.} 

(c).  Nest  on  the  ground,  or  very  near  it. 

1.  Av.  1-80X1'36.    Occasionally  marked.    Marsh  Hawk.    §27,1. 

2.  Av.  1-50X1-30.    Normally,  almost  spherical.    Short-eared  Oivl.    §26,  II,  B. 
(3).  Av.  1-20X'90.    Blue-tinged,  and  nearly  elliptical.    Least  Bittern. 

4.  Av.  l-20Xl'00.  White,  often  stained,  and  almost  pointed  at  one  end.   Quail.  §31. 

5.  Av.  -70X'55,  usually  marked.  Nest  built  near  water.    Yellow  Throat.  §9,  II,  A. 

(d).  Nest  about  buildings  (2,  3,  6,  usually  in  bird-boxes,  4  in  chimneys). 
(1).  >1-50X1'25.    Impure  white.    Barn  Owl.    §26,1. 

2.  >-85X'65.    Purple  Martin.    §12,  V. 

3.  < -80X60.     White-bellied  Swallow.    §12,111. 

4.  Av. -70X'40.     Chimney  Swift.    §21,1. 

5.  Av. -75X'57.    Nest  built  on  beam,  or  under  eaves.    Pewee.    §19,111. 

(6).  Av. -80X'60,  usually  blue.    Bird  with  chestnut  breast.    Blue  Bird.    §2,1. 

(e).  Eggs  laid  in  a  burrow  in  a  bank  of  sand  or  sometimes  gravel. 

1.  >  1-25X1-00.    Kingfisher.    §23,1. 

2.  <  l-OOX-75.    Bank  Swallow.    §  12,  IV. 

(/).  Nest  built  among  reeds,  or  in  tall  meadow-grass. 
1.    Eggs  small  and  brittle.    Short-billed  Marsh  Wren.    §  7,  II,  A. 

(g).  Nest  very  bulky,  and  built  of  sticks  on  cliffs. 

(1).  >  3-00X2-25.    Impure  white;  usually  marked.    Golden  Eagle.    §27,  VII. 

B.    Color,  blue,  bluish-green,  or  greenish-blue,  dark  in  "5  "  only, 
(a).  Nest  made  in  trees  (or  bushes). 

(1).  2-25Xl'75  or  more.  Extremely  light.  Occasionally  marked.   Goshawk.  §27,  IV. 
8.    Av.  1-15X'85.    Bird  with  reddish  or  dun  breast,  unmarked.    Robin.    §  1, 1,  F. 

3.  1-00X70  or  more.    Bird's  breast  thickly  spotted.     Tail,   dusky-olive.     Wood 

Thrush.    §  1, 1,  A. 

4.  Av.  -85X'60.     Bird,    soft  reddish-brown   above,    slightly   spotted   beneath. 

Wilson's  Thrush.     §  1, 1,  B.    (Nest  generally  on  the  ground.) 

5.  Av.  -90X'65.    Dark  emerald  green.   Nest  often  in  thicket.    Cat-bird.   §  1,  II,  B. 
(6).  -95X65,  light  blue,   rf,  dark  blue;  ? ,  warm  brown  and  flaxen.  Blue  Grosbeak. 

§  15,  XXI. 

7.  1-15X-87,  usually  dull.       (   Nest  loose  and  frail,   j  Black  (   -billed   j§24,I,B. 

8.  Av.  1-25X'87,  rather  light.  (  Eggs  long  or  elliptical,  i  Yellow  (  Cuckoo. »  §  24, 1,  A. 

(6).  Eggs  laid  in  a  hollow  tree  or  post,  or  in  a  bird-box. 

1.  Av. -80X60.    Blue  Bird.    §2,1. 

(c).  Nest  made  on  the  ground. 

(1).  Av.  <  -75X'55  ?    Nest  made  in  dry  fields.    Black-throated  Bunting.    §  15,  XIX. 

2.  >  -75X-55.    Nest  made  in  wet  woods,  etc.    Wilson's  Thrush.    §  1, 1,  B. 

(d).  Nest  about  buildings. 
1.    Av.  I-ISX'85.    Robin.    §1,1,  P. 


APPENDIX.  425 

[NOTE.  There  are  many  herons'  eggs  of  the  above  color,  but  they  are  all  >  1-25 
long.  There  are  also  many  white  eggs,  tinged  with  blue  (or  green),  and  perhaps 
among  them  should  be  included  those  of  the  Goshawk  and  Cooper's  Hawk.  Many 
ducks'  eggs  are  strongly  tinged  with  blue,  green,  drab,  or  yellowish.  Most  of  them 
are  laid  on  the  ground  or  in  hollow  trees,  but  all  are  more  than  an  inch  and  three- 
fourths  long.  The  only  ducks  commonly  breeding  in  Massachusetts  are  the  Dusky 
Ducks,  who  build  on  the  ground,  and  the  Wood  Ducks,  who  build  in  hollow  trees.] 

C.     Color,  brown,  drab,  or  buff. 

(a).  On  the  ground,  except  the  last,  and  sometimes  "3." 
1.    Av.  1-65X1-25,  pale  drab  buff  to  rich  reddish  buff.*    Partridge.    §  30,  III. 
(2).  Av.  1-65X1'35,  brownish  drab  or  paler.*  Nest  where  dry.  Prairie  Hen.  §30,11. 

3.  Av.  1-90X1'50.  drab.    Birds  usually  colonial  in  swamps.    Bittei-n. 

4.  <-75X'55;  usually  marked.    Nest  among  reeds.    L-b  Marsh  Wren.    §7,  II,  B. 

(6).  In  the  holes  of  trees,  or  rarely  in  a  nest  made  in  a  fork. 
1.    About  2'OOX1'50.    Yellowish-white,  or  very  pale  drab.    Summer  Duck. 


*  Often  somewhat  marked. 
For  §  II  of  this  Key,  see  the  next  page. 


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COLOR.1 

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COLOR.1 

Conspicuous  broad  dark  line  bort 
No  broad  dark  line  bordering  the 
Tarsi  not  scutellate  behind.  See 
V.  "  STRISORES." 
Chiefly  variegated.  Tail  forked  
Chiefly  variegated.  Tail  rounded  
Chiefly  sooty-brown  
Golden-gi-een  above;  tail  marked  with  black  and  white... 
throat  glittering  ruby-red  

VT.  "SCANSORES."  (Parrots),  cuckoos,  woodpeckers.. 
Beneath  white,  (tinged  ?)  but  wholly  unmarked. 
Rvfi-rinsr  red.  . 

Middle  pair  only  of  tail-feathers  drab  or  brown  

>15  inches  long.  With  scarlet  crest  (in  $  half  black)  

Whole  head  crimson.  . 

Crown  crimson;  throat-patch  in  $  crimson,  in  9  white  
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APPENDIX.  439 

E.  Coloration  peculiar  to  young  birds,  or  to  mature  birds  in 
the  ivinter-season. 

Young  birds  are  so  called  from  the  time  of  first  being  fully 
feathered  until  the  acquirement  of  all  the  characteristics  of 
maturity.  They  are  for  the  most  part  more  or  less  distinct 
from  their  parents  in  general  appearance,  though  often  closely 
alike  among  themselves  in  different  species.  But,  since  they 
are  known  on  attaining  their  full  growth,  but  before  attaining 
their  full  coloration,  often  to  be  larger  than  their  parents 
(owing  to  their  long  feathers),  they  in  some  cases,  particularly 
among  the  hawks,  seem  mature  before  being  so. 

Young  birds  may  be  classified  in  three  divisions. 

(1).  Those  with  the  male-parents  strikingly  different  from 
the  females,  as  in  the  Scarlet  Tanagers,  or  Orchard  Orioles. 
These  at  first  resemble  the  females,  but  afterwards,  if  males, 
assume  gradually,  but  often  slowly,  the  characteristic  colora- 
tion of  their  sex,  and  in  this  way  sometimes  pass  through  con- 
fusing changes. 

(2).  Those  differing  from  their  parents,  who  are  essentially 
alike,  as  in  the  Robins. 

(3).  Those -who  essentially  resemble  both  their  parents,  as 
in  the  Crows. 

Young  birds  do  not  generally  differ  from  their  parents,  except 
in  size  and  coloration,  but  those  of  all  species  with  "  booted" 
tarsi,  are  said  to  have  scutellate  tarsi.  (See  §  T  of  the  Intro- 
duction, etc.)  The  following  is  a  synopsis  of  the  Insessorian 
families. 

Turdidcc,  or  thrushes  (§  1).  Young  easily  recognized,  but 
often  more  or  less  abnormally1  spotted. 

Saxicolidce  or  bluebirds  (§  2).  Young  essentially  like  the 
female  ;  when  very  young,  spotted. 

Regulince,  "  wrens,"  or  "kinglets"  (§  3).  Young  essentially 
like  the  female. 2 

Paridce  or  titmice  (§  4).     Class  third. 

Sittidce  or  nuthatches  (§  5).  Young  like  the  females  or  less 
distinctly  marked. 

Certhiidce  or  creepers  (§  6).     Class  third. 

Troglodytidce,  or  wrens  (§  7).     Class  third. 

Anthince  or  titlarks  (§  8).     Class  third. 


1  i.  e.  Abnormally  in  respect  to  maturity. 
>«.  if  without  crown- markin 
leather  overlying  the  nostrils;  this  ia  wanting* in  calendulut." 


*  Young  sfitrapn,  if  without  crown-markings,  may  be  known  by  the  "  presence 
of  a  tiny  bristly  featl: 


(Coues.) 


440  APPENDIX. 

Sylvicolidce  or  warblers  (§  9).  Young  students  will  find  the 
young  of  this  family  very  confusing,  from  their  frequent  simi- 
larity one  to  another,  and  their  abundance  during  the  fall-mi- 
grations. It  is  best  to  study  warblers  in  the  spring,  and  to 
avoid  immature  birds  until  the  differences  between  their  parents 
are  mastered.  The  young  of  those  species,  not  further  men- 
tioned,  either  resemble  the  females  or  the  males  also,  or  are 
characterized  by  indistinct  markings  and  impure  colors,  such 
as  greenish-blue,  yellowish-white,  etc.  Helminthophaga  celata 
is  "  often  difficult  to  distinguish  in  immature  plumage ;  but  a 
general  oliveness  and  yellowness,  compared  with  the  ashy  of 
some  parts  of  ruficapilla,  and  the  different  color  of  the  crown- 
patch  in  the  two  species,  will  usually  be  diagnostic."  (Coues.) 
The  young  male  of  the  " Black- throated  Blue"  (Dendrceca 
ccerulescens)  resembles  the  adult  male,  but  the  colors  are  im- 
pure, and  the  black  restricted.  The  immature  4 '  Yellow-rumps  " 
(D.  coronata)  are  common  during  both  migrations.  Their  col- 
oration varies  from  an  imperfect  full  dress  to  the  following  ex- 
treme. Beneath,  white  or  whitish,  with  slender  streaks  ;  above, 
chiefly  brown,  with  more  or  less  yellow,  especially  on  the  rump 
(which  is  concealed  by  the  wings  when  closed).  The  other 
young  Dendrcecce  with  yellow  rumps  are  maculosa  (Black  and 
Yellow  Warbler)  and  tigrina*  (Cape  May  Warbler).  The 
former  have  more  or  less  distinct  (and  pure  ?)  yellow  beneath, 
"  small  tail-spots  near  the  middle  of  all  the  feathers  except  the 
central ;"  and  are  rather  gray  above.  The  latter  are  greenish 
above.  The  young  Yellow  "  Red-poll "  (D.  palmarum),  with  a 
yellowish  rump,  has  the  "  tailspots  at  very  end  of  inner  webs  of 
two  outer  pairs  of  tail  feathers  only,  and  cut  squarely  off — a  pecu- 
liarity distinguishing  the  species  in  any  plumage."  (Coues.) 
Of  the  Bay-breasted  Warbler  (D.  castanea)  the  young  "  so 
closely  resemble  young  striata  ["Black-poll"],  that  it  is  some- 
times impossible  to  distinguish  them  with  certainty.  The  upper 
parts,  in  fact,  are  of  precisely  the  same  greenish-olive,  with 
black  streaks  ;  but  there  is  generally  a  difference  below  — casta- 
nea being  there  tinged  with  buffy  or  ochrey,  instead  of  the 
clearer  pale  yellowish  of  striata;  this  shade  is  particularly  ob- 
servable on  the  belly,  flanks  and  under  tail  coverts,  just  where 
striata  is  whitest ;  and  moreover,  castanea  is  usually  not  streaked 
on  the  sides  at  all."  (Coues.)  The  young  Blackburnian  War- 
bler is  not  unlike  these,  though  sufficiently  like  the  female  to 
be  distinguishable.  The  other  species  require  no  notice,  unless 


8  Properly  Peritsoglossa  tigrina. 


APPENDIX.  441 

the  young  Mourning  Warblers  (Geothlypis  Philadelphia),  who 
have  no  gray  ( ?)  or  black,  though  recognizable  from  their 
shape  and  proportions,  unless  confused  with  the  "  Yellow- 
throats." 

Tanagridce  or  tanagers  (§  10).     Class  first. 

Ampelidaz  or  waxwings  (§11).      J  The  young  of  these  fami- 

Hirundinidce  or  siuallows  (§  12).  f  lies  are  recognizable  from 

Vireonidce  or  vireos  (§  13).  (  their  likeness  to  their  pa- 

Laniidce  or  shrikes  (§  14).  )  rents. 

Fringillidce  or  finches  (§  15).  The  young  Pine  Finch  (Chry- 
somitris  pinus)  often  resembles  the  young  "  Red-polls  "  (^Egi- 
othi),  but  these  species,  unless  very  young,  show  respectively 
more  or  less  3rellow  or  carmine.  Our  sparrows  are  separable 
into  two  groups,  with  the  wings  decidedly  longer  than  the  tail 
(genera  Ammodromus,  Coturniculus,  Passerculus,  and  Pooe- 
cetes),  and  with  the  wing  equal  to  or  shorter  than  the  tail 
(genera  Melospiza,  Spizella,  and  Zonotrichia) .  The  young  Yel- 
low-winged Sparrow  (C.  passerinus)  is  spotted,  but  never 
streaked,  beneath.  In  the  second  group,  the  Spizellce  are  char- 
acterized by  their  forked  tails.  The  j'oung  £>f  pusilla  maybe 
told  from  that  of  social-is  by  the  reddish  bill,  and  (faint)  streaks 
on  the  crown,  instead  of  on  the  rump  (?).  Young  monticola 
has  the  "  breast,  throat,  and  crown,  streaked."  Young  Melo- 
spiza palustris  (or  Swamp  Sparrow)  is  also  streaked  beneath. 
Other  young  finches  are  more  easily  recognized.  In  the  Tow- 
hee  Bunting  (Piftilo  erythropthalmus)  "  very  young  birds  are 
streaked  brown  and  dusky  above,  below  whitish  tinged  with 
brown  and  streaked  with  dusky  ;  but  this  plumage,  correspond- 
ing to  the  very  early  speckled  condition  of  thrushes  and  war- 
blers, is  of  brief  duration ;  sexual  distinctions  may  be  noted 
in  birds  just  from  the  nest,  and  they  rapidly  become  much  like 
the  adults."  (Cones.) 

Alaudidoe,  or  larks  (§  16).     Young  easity  recognized. 

Icteridce  or  starlings  (§  17).  Young  like  the  females,  but,  in 
the  Cow-bird,  streaked. 

Corvidce,  or  crows  and  jays  (§  18).  Class  third  (?).  In 
the  Canada  Jay  (Perisoreus  Canadensis),  the  young  are  said  to 
be  quite  distinct,  being  much  darker,  duller,  and  browner. 
Tyrannidce  or  flycatchers  (§19).  In  many  species,  the  young 
have  rufous  or  ochrey  edgings,  especially  on  the  wings. 

The  young  of  all  our  picarian  birds  (§  §  20-25)  are  easily 
identified,  except  those  of  certain  woodpeckers  (Picidw,  §  25). 
In  our 'species  of  Picus,  "young  with  the  crown  mostly  red  or 
bronzy,  or  even  yellowish."  (Coues.)  Young  Sphyrapici  have 


442  APPENDIX. 

at  first  no  distinct  markings,  but  are  easily  recognized.  The 
crown  shows  black,  and  then  scarlet,  very  early.  In  Melanerpes 
erythrocephalus  (Red-headed  Woodpecker),  at  first  "young1 
without  any  red,  the  head  and  neck  being  grayish  streaked  with 
dusky ;  breast  with  an  ashy  tinge,  and  streaked  sparsely  with 
dusky  ;  secondaries  with  two  or  three  bands  of  black ;  dorsal 
region  clouded  with  grayish."  (B.  B.  and  R.) 

The  owls  (Strigidce,  §  26)  belong  more  or  less  distinctly  to 
the  third  class.  The  young  of  Nyctale  are  described  as  more 
or  less  brown  beneath,  where  they  are  unmarked.  Descriptions 
of  the  young  hawks  who  are  much  unlike  their  parents  (Falcon- 
idee,  §  27)  may  be  found  with  those  of  the  adults.  The  young 
of  our  two  pigeons  (Columbidce,  §  28)  resemble  at  first  the 
females. 

The  adult  birds  of  many  species  change  their  dress  for  the 
autumn  and  winter,  so  that  the  coloration  is  materially  altered. 

During  the  winter-season  (only),  the  males  resemble  the  fe- 
males in  the  Blue  Birds  (Sialia  sialis),  a  majority  of  our  war- 
blers (several  of  whom  lose  an  ashiness  or  grayness,  observable 
above  in  spring),  the  tanagers  (?),  many  of  the  finches  (even 
several  plainly-colored  kinds),  and  some  of  the  starlings,  not- 
ably the  Bobolinks  (Dolichonyx  oryzivorus).  The  male  "Yel- 
low-rump" (Dendroeca  coronata)  and  Goldfinches  (Chrysomi- 
tris  tristis)  become  in  autumn  more  or  less  brown,  and  remain 
so  throughout  the  winter. 

I  have  now  detailed  the  most  important  seasonal  changes 
observable  in  the  (insessorian)  birds  of  New  England.  I  have 
often  quoted  Dr.  Coues,  on  account  of  his  rank  as  an  authority, 
and  the, frequent  terseness  of  his  descriptions. 


APPENDIX.  443 

F.   Additions  and  Corrections. 

Add  to  the  list  of  books  given  in  foot-notes  to  the  Preface,  "  Studer's  Ornithol- 
ogy," "the  Birds  of  North  America,  drawn,  engraved,  and  colored  from  life  by 
Theodore  Jasper,  A.M.,  M.D."  This  is  to  be  published  (by  subscription,  at  one 
dollar  for  each  number)  in  about  forty  parts,  many  of  which  have  already  been  is- 
sued. Each  part  contains  one  uncolored,  and  three  colored  lithographic  plates,  in 
which  the  figures  of  the  larger  birds  are  often  admirable,  while  those  of  the  smaller 
kinds  are  genei-ally  very  much  less  successful.  The  letter-press  consists  of  short 
biographical  sketches,  and  synopses  of  classification. 

Add  to  §  S  of  the  Introduction,  on  the  study  of  birds'  habits,  the  following:  It 
will  be  found  very  advantageous  to  make  observations  continuously  from  day  to  day, 
as  one  will  not  only  see  many  birds  who  otherwise  would  escape  him,  but  will  ac- 
quire an  invaluable  familiarity  with  their  little  characteristics  (which  one  may  often 
think  insignificant)  and  so  an  intimacy  with  the  birds  themselves,  which  will  enable 
him,  for  instance,  to  detect  the  presence  of  the  Brown  Creepers  by  their  shrill  and 
slightly  tremulous  tsip,  where  another  person  might  require  more  certain  indica- 
tions, or  more  impressive  evidence.  Moreover,  one  will  find  that  intimacy  suffers 
from  interruption,  and  that  knowledge  is  easily  lost,  however  thoroughly  gained. 
Therefore,  one  may  chance  to  find  a  familiar  song  no  longer  associated  with  any 
bird.  On  the  other  hand,  those  who  in  studying  nature  are  obliged  to  do  so  at  in- 
tervals will  be  surprised  at  the  amount  of  pleasurable  acquaintance  which  they 
can  form  with  her  at  odd  moments.  There  are  few  places  where  birds  cannot  be 
studied  to  advantage,  not  excluding  the  hearts  of  our  cities,  where  may  be  found 
creepers,  nuthatches,  titmice,  warblers,  vireos,  flycatchers,  shrikes,  etc.,'  some- 
times even  hawks.  Finally,  it  is  to  be  remembered  that  birds  are  frequently  er- 
ratic, and  that  observations  on  their  abnormal  habits  are,  as  a  rule,  interesting 
observations  rather  than  important  discoveries. 

The  Hermit  Thrushes  are  said  occasionally  to  catch  flies  in  the  manner  of 
Swainson's  Thrushes,  who  perhaps  are  more  common  migrants  through  southern 
New  England  than  I  have  indicated  in  my  biography  of  those  birds. 

The  Hudsonian  Titmice  probably  breed  in  several  parts  of  northern  New  Eng- 
land, and  in  the  Adirondacks.  They  wander  in  winter  so  far  to  the  southward 
as  Connecticut,  and  more  than  one  has  been  obtained  in  Massachusetts.  The 
Crested  Tomtit  (Lopophanes  bicolor),  is  said  to  have  occurred  in  New  England. 

To  the  accounts  of  the  warblers,  it  may  be  added  that  several  Orange-crowned 
Warblers  have  now  been  obtained  in  Massachusetts  (for  which  information  I  am 
chiefly  indebted  to  Mr.  H.  A.  Purdie);  that  the  Blackburnian  Warblers  are  con- 
sidered by  a  friend,  rather  to  the  contrary  of  my  own  observations,  to  be  very  ex- 
pert flycatchers,  and  that  I  have  seen  them  near  Boston  on  the  tenth  of  October ;  that 
the  Prairie  Warblers  sometimes  feed  upon  the  ground,  and,  moreover,  have  been 
foundjexceptionally  among  the  White  Mountains,  at  Bethlehem ;  that  the  Hooded 
Warbler  has  been  definitely  reported  from  Connecticut ;  and  that  the  Yellow-breasted 
Chats  are  reported  to  be  common  summer-residents  at  Oyster  Bay,  Long  Island, 
where  Blue  Birds  winter,  and  where  Cedar-birds  have  been  seen  in  autumn  in 
flocks  of  more  than  a  hundred. 

Mr.  Ridgway  has  suggested  that  the  anecdote  quoted  from  the  "  Naturalist,"  pp. 
141,  142,  of  this  book,  is  probably  referable  to  the  Roughrwinged  Swallow,  a  bird 
closely  resembling  the  Bank  Swallow,  and  common  in  that  section  of  the  country, 
where  the  circumstance  quoted  is  reconcilable  to  the  usual  habits  of  this  species. 

On  p.  257,  it  should  have  been  mentioned  that  the  Adirondacks  belong  to  the 
Canadian  faunal  district. 


444  APPENDIX. 

To  my  biography  of  the  Hummingbird  I  will  here  add  that  one  fluttered  about  the 
artificial  flowers  on  the  hat  of  a  young  lady  sitting  out  of  doors,  and  that  another, 
haying  become  entangled  in  cobwebs,  so  that  he  could  ,not  see,  remained  on  the 
twig  of  a  piazza-vine,  the  twig  having  been  cut  off  by  scissors,  while  carried 
through  the  house,  and  until  his  plumage  was  cleared  of  the  web,  and  his  sight 
restored,  when  he  at  once  became  active. 

By  my  description  of  the  Fish  Hawk's  notes,  I  did  not  wish  to  imply  that  those 
notes  were  ever  musical,  but  merely  that  they  were  not  always  harsh  or  piercing. 

The  coloration  of  the  Ruffed  Grouse  is  variable,  the  tints  varying  from  reddish 
to  grayish.  So  in  the  Quail,  the  chestnut  is  often  restricted,  particularly  in  the 
females.  In  reference  to  the  first  line  of  p.  390,  it  is  to  be  remarked  that  the  Scotch 
Capercailzie  is  called  the  "  Wood  Grouse." 

The  specimen,  frorii  which  the  figure  of  the  Winter  Wren  was  drawn  (p.  71),  had 
an  unusually  short  tail,  in  consequence  of  which  the  figure  must  be  considered  in- 
accurate in  regard  to  that  feature. 

p.  56, 5th  line,  for  bird  read  birds. 

pp.  71  and  75,  for  cedon  read  aedon. 

p.  181,  foot-note,  for  wilder  read  milder. 

I  take  the  last  opportunity  offered  to  record  an  observation  which  I  have  just 
made  (Nov.  19th,  1876),  that  of  a  Black-throated  Blue  Warbler  busied  in  catching 
insects  among  weeds,  and  also  in  some  trees,  where  were  several  Chickadees. 
From  other  observations  made  near  Boston,  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  this  spe- 
cies is  always  a  rather  late  migrant  in  fall,  and  that  individuals  may  occasionally 
pass  the  winter  in  New  England. 

The  reference  to  Psittaci,  given  in  the  opening  table  of  the  Key  to  birds,  is 
owing  to  their  bill,  which  has  a  true  cere.  The  reference  is  improper,  inasmuch 
as  the  parrots  have  their  toes  in  pairs. 

I  have  just  learned,  from  the  fourth  number  of  the  Nuttall  Ornithological  Club 
Bulletin,  that  the  nests  of  our  kinglets  had  been  found  previously  to  my  discovery. 


G.     ABSTRACT  OF  THE  GAME-LAWS  OF  MASSACHUSETTS. 
Extract  from  Chap.  304,  Statutes  of  1870,  as  amended. 

Whoever  takes,  kills,  sells,  buys,  has  in  possession,  or  offers  for  sale  any  WOOD 
COCK,  from  January  1st  till  July  4th,  any  PARTRIDGES,  from  January  1st  till  Sep- 
tember 1st,  any  QUAIL,  from  December  15th  till  October  15th,  shall  forfeit  for  every 
such  Bird  TWENTY-FIVE  DOLLARS. 

Whoever  takes  or  kills  ANT  WILD  BIRD,  AT  ANT  SEASON  OF  THE  TEAR,  or  wilfully 
disturbs  or  destroys  their  nests  and  eggs,  shall  forfeit  for  each  offence  Ten  Dollars. 

The  following  are  exceptions :  Marsh,  Shore,  and  Beach  Birds,  such  as  Plover 
and  Sandpipers,  may  be  killed  after  15th  of  July ;  Black  Duck,  Summer  Duck,  Teal 
and  Wild  Pigeons  after  September  first;  other  fresh  water  Ducks,  Geese,  all  Sea 
Ducks,  Birds  of  Prey,  Crow  Blackbirds,  Crows,  Herons,  Bitterns,  Wilson's  Snipe, 
Black  Breast  and  Red  Breast  Plover  at  any  time  of  year. 

Possession,  by  any  person,  of  Birds  mentioned  as  protected  in  this  Act  shall  be 
prima  facie  evidence  to  convict  under  the  same,  and  one  half  of  all  forfeitures 
shall  be  paid  to  the  informant  or  prosecutor. 

The  attention  of  the  public  is  respectfully  invited  to  these  laws,  which  will  be 
enforced.  Their  co-operation  is  requested  by  the  SOCIETT  FOR  PROTECTION  OF 

USEFUL  BIRDS. 


INDEX.  445 


INDEX  TO  ENGLISH  NAMES. 

(For  the  terms  used  in  descriptions,  see  §  T  of  the  Introduc- 
tion. No  references  are  here  made  to  works  consisting  of  a 
single  volume.  In  other  cases,  the  volume  only  is  indicated, 
unless  a  species  is  referred  to  under  different  names.  The  first 
number  after  each  name  usually  refers  to  a  page  of  this  work. 
A  stands  for  Audubon's  "  Ornithological  Biography,"  AA  for 
Audubon's  "Birds  of  America,"  B  for  Bonaparte's  "American 
Ornithology,"  BB  for  Messrs.  Baird,  Brewer,  and  Ridgway's 
" Birds  of  North  America,"  N  for  Nuttall's  "Manual  of  the 
Ornithology  of  the  United  States  and  Canada,"  W  for  Wilson's 
"American  Ornithology,"  C  for  Dr.  Coues'  "  Check  List,"1  and 
S  for  "  Smithsonian  Catalogue,"1  first  8vo  edition.) 

(1)  Acadian  Flycatcher.    289;  A,  2;  A  A,  1;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  2;  C,  266;  S,  143. 

(2)  Acadian  Owl.    334;  A,  2;  AA,  1;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  W,  4,  p.  66;  C,  328;  S,  57. 

(3)  Alice' t  (or  Arctic}  Thrush.    39;  BB,  1;  C,  5a;  S,  154. 

(4)  American  Barn  Owl,  or  the  like.    See  Barn  Owl,  etc. 

(5)  Autumnal  Warbler.    N,  1;  W,  3.    See  young  of  the  Bay-breasted  (or  "  Black 

poll"?)  Warbler. 

(6)  Bald  Eagle.   369;  A,  I;  AA,  1;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  W,  4,  and  7,  p.  16;  C,  362;  S,  43. 

(7)  Baltimore  Oriole.    252 ;  A,  1 ;  A  A,  4 ;  BB,  2 ;  N,  1 ;  W,  1,  and  ? ,  6 ;  C,  216 ;  S,  415. 

(8)  Banded  Three-toed  Woodpecker.   320;  A,  5;  A  A,  4;  BB,  2;  N,l  (2d  ed.) ;  C,  301; 

8,83. 

(9)  Bank  Swallow.    148;  A,  4;  A  A,  1 ;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  5;  C,  115;  S,  229. 

(10)  Barn  Owl.    328;  A,  2;  AA,  1;  BB,  3;  N,  ;;  W,  6;  C,  316;  S,  47. 

(11)  Barn  Swallow.    142;  A,  2;  AA,  1;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  5;  C,  111;  S,  225. 

(12)  Barred  Owl.    332;  A,l;  AA,  1;  BB,3;  N,  1;  W,4;  C,323;  S,  54. 

(13)  Bay-breasted  Warbler.    108;  A,  1;  A  A,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  2;  C,  82;  S,  197. 

(14)  Bay-winged  Bunting.    200;  A,  1;  AA,  3;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,4;  0, 161;  S,  337. 

(15)  Bee  "  Martin."    273.    See  (158). 

(16)  Belted  Kingfisher.    305;  A,  1;  AA,  4;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  3;  C,  286;  S,  117. 

(17)  Birds  of  prey.    Chap.  Ill,  p.  326;  A  A,  1;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  C,  316-366;  S,  l-«2. 

(18)  Black  Hawk.    366;  BB,  3;  W,  6.    C,  =  356;  S,  31. 

(19)  Black  "Log-cock  "(or  Woodpecker).    324.    See  (224). 

(20)  Black  and  White  "  Creeper."    97 ;  A,  1 ;  A  A,  2 ;  BB,  1 ;  N,  1 ;  W,  3 ;  C,  57 ;  S,  167 . 
^21)  Black  and  Yellow  Warbler.    126;  A,l;  AA,2;  BB,1;  N,  1;  W,3;  0,84;  S,  204. 

(22)  Black-backed  Woodpecker.    319;  A,  2;  AA,  4;  B,  1;  BB,  2;  N,  1  (2d  ed.);  C,  800; 

S,  82. 

(23)  Black-billed  Cuckoo.    309;  A,  1;  AA,  4;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  4;  C,  290;  S,  70. 

(24)  Blackbirds.    §  17,  VI,  VII,  etc.;  AA,  4;  BB,  2;  N,  1. 

(25)  Blackburnian  Warbler.    112;  A,  1;  AA,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  3;  C,  80;  S,  196. 

(26)  Black-capped  Chickadee.    59.    See  (68). 

1  The  author  has  carefully  revised  these  numbers,  so  that  they  may  be  taken 
from  the  Index  without  hesitation. 


446  INDEX. 

(27)  "  Black-cap » (Warbler,  or  «  Flycatcher  »)•    129 ;  A,  2 ;  AA,  2 ;  BB,  1 ;  N,  1 ;  W,  3 ; 

C,  102;  8,213. 

(28)  "Mack-poll"  Warbler.    110;  A,  2;  A  A,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  4  (and  6,  p.  101); 

C,  81 ;  S,  202. 

(29)  Black-throated  Blue  Warbler.    115;  A,  2  (and  p.  279);  A  A,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1  (and 

p.  406) ;  W,  2  (and  5,  p.  100) ;  C,  76 ;  S,  193. 

(30)  Black-throated  Bunting.    228;  A  A,  3;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  3;  C,  191;  S,  378. 

(31)  Black-throated  Green  Warbler.    117 ;  A,  4 ;  A  A,  2 ;  BB,  1 ;  N,  1 ,  W,  2 ;  C,  71 ;  S,  189. 

(32)  Blue  Bird.    50;  A,  2;  AA,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  1 ;  C,  16;  S,  158. 

(33)  Blue  Grosbeak.    231;  A,  2;  AA,  3;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  3;  C,  195;  S,  382. 

(34)  Blue  Jay.    266;  A,  2;  AA,  4;  BB,  2;  N,  1 ;  W,  1;  C,  234;  S,  434. 

(35)  "  Blue"  Snow-bird.    223;  A,  1;  A  A,  3;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  2;  C,  174;  S,  354. 

(36)  Blue  Warbler.    114  (G);  A,  1,  pp.  255  and  258;  AA,  2;  B,  ?,2;  BB,  1;  N,  1; 

W,  2  (p.  141,  and  3,  p.  119);  C,  77;  S,  201. 

(37)  Blue  Yellow-backed  Warbler.    99 :  A,  1 ;  AA,  2 ;  BB,  1 ;  N,  1 ;  W,  4 ;  C,  58 ;  S,  168. 

(38)  Blue-eyed  Yellow  Warbler.    103.    See  (350). 

(39)  Blue-gray  Gnatcatcher.    58;  A,  1;  AA,  1;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  2;  C,  23;  S,  282. 

(40)  Blue-headed  Vireo.    152.    See  (287).  , 

(41)  Blue-winged  Yellow  Warbler.    91 ;  A,  1 ;  AA,  2 :  BB,  1 ;  N,  1 ;  W,  2 ;  C,  62 ;  S,  180. 

(42)  Bobolink.    243;  A,  1;  A  A,  4;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  2;  C,  210;  S,  399. 

(43)  Bohemian  Waxwing.    139;  A,  4;  AA,  4;  B,  3;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  C,  118;  S,  232. 

(44)  Brewster's  Linnet.    185;  BB,  1;  C,  147;  S, . 

(45)  Broad-winged  Hawk.    365.    A,  1;  AA,  1;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  W,  6;  C,  355;  S,  27. 

(46)  Bronzed  Blackbird.    261;  BB,  2;  C, ;  S, . 

(47)  Brown  Creeper.    68;  A,  5;  AA,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  1;  C,  42;  S,  275. 

(48)  Brown  Thrush.    48;  A,  2;  A  A,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  2;  C,  10;  S,  261. 

(49)  Buntings.    §  §  15, 17,  passim. 

(49a)  Burrowing  Owl.    343;  A,  5;  AA,  1;  B,  1;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  C,  332;  S,  58. 

(50)  Butcher-bird.    161.    See  (126). 

(51)  Buzzards.    §  27,  V,  VI.    A  A,  1;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  W,  6.    See  (318).    For  "  Amer- 

ican Buzzard  "  (see  (251). 

(52)  Ccerulean  Warbler.    114.    See  (36). 

(53)  Canada  "  Flycatcher."    127;  A,  2;  A  A,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  I;  W,  3;  C,  103;  S,  214. 

(54)  Canada  Grouse.    386;  A,  2;  A  A,  5;  B,  3;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  C,  380;  S,  460. 

(55)  Canada  Jay.    268;  A,  2;  A  A,  4;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  3;  C,  239;  S,  443. 

(56)  Canada  "  Robin."    137.    See  (60). 

(57)  Cape  May  Warbler.    102 ;  A,  5 ;  AA,  2 ;  B,  ? ,  1 ;  BB,  1 ;  N,  1 ;  W,  6 ;  C,  85 ;  S,  206. 

(58)  Cardinal  Grosbeak.    234;  A,  2;  AA,  3;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  2;  C,  203;  S,  390. 

(59)  Carolina  Dove.    384;  A,  1;  AA,  5;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  W,  5;  C,  371;  S,  451.    For  C. 

Wren,  (§  7, 1,  NOTE),  see  (123). 

(60)  Carrion  "  Crow."    375;  A,  2;  A  A,  1;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  W,  9;  C,  366;  S,  3. 

(61)  Cat-bird.    46;  A,  2;  A  A,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  2;  C,  9;  S,  254. 

(62)  Cedar-bird.    137;  A,  1;  AA,.4;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  1;  C,  119;  S,  233. 

(63)  Chat.    132;  A,  2;  AA,  4;  BB,  1 ;  N,  1;  W,  1;  C,  100;  S,  176. 

(64)  "  Chatterers."    §  11;  AA,  4;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  C,  118-121 ;«S,  232-235. 

(65)  Cherry-bird.    137.    See  (62). 

(66)  Chestnut-sided  Warbler.    106;  A,  1;  A  A,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  2;  C,  83;  S,  200. 

(67)  "  Chewink."    226;  A,  1;  AA,  3;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  2  C,  204;  S,  391. 

(68)  Chickadee*    59;  A,  4;  A  A,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  1;  C,  31;  S,  290. 
.  (69)  "  Chicken  Hawk."    357;  etc.    See  (75). 


8  Other  allied  titmice  are  called  "Chickadees,"  but  always  with  a  prefix. 


INDEX.  447 

(70)  Chimney  ("  Swallow  »  or)  Swift.    299;  A,  2;  AA,  1;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  5;  C,  271; 

S,  109. 

(71)  "  Chipper"  or  Chipping  Sparrow.    210;  A,  2;  AA, 3;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  2;  0, 178; 

S,  359. 

(72)  Cliff  Swallow.    144;  A,  1;  AA,  1;  B,  1;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  C,  114;  S,  226. 

(73)  Common  Crow,  or  the  like.    See  Crow,  etc. 

(74)  Connecticut  Warbler.    88;  A,  2;  AA,2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,5;  C,95;  8,174. 

(75)  Cooper's  Hawk.    357;  A,  1;  A  A,  1;  B,  2;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  C,  339;  S,  15. 

(76)  Cow-bird.    246;  A,  2;  AA,  4;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  2;  C,  211;  S,  400. 

(77)  Creepers.    §  6.    See  (47),  and,  if  necessary,  (20). 

(78)  Crossbills.    §  15, 1;  AA,  3;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  4;  C,  142-143a;  S,  318-319. 

(79)  Crow.    262;  A,  2;  A  A,  4  ;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  4;  C,  228;  S,  426. 

(80)  Crows.    §18,1;  AA,  4;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  C,  226-231;  S,  423-131  (?). 

(81)  Crow  Blackbird.    258;  A.  1;  AA,  4;  B,  $,  1;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  3;  C,  225;  S,  421. 
(S2)  Cuckoos.    §24.    A,  1;  AA,  4;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  4;  C,  288-292;  8,67-71. 

(83)  Cuvier's  Kinglet.    57;  A  A,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  C ;  S,  163. 

(84)  Day  Owl.    342.    See  (140). 

(85)  Doves.    §  29,  II;  AA,  5  ;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  C,  371-377;  S,  449-455. 

(86)  Downy  Woodpecker.    322;  A,  2;  A  A,  4;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  1;  C,  299;  S,  76. 

(87)  Duck  Hawk.    348;  A,  1;  AA,  1;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  W,  9;  C,  343;  S,  5. 

(88)  Eagles.    §  27,  VII,  VIII ;  AA,  I;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  C,  361-362  (and  363?);  S,  39-43. 

(89)  Eastern  Blue  Bird,  or  the  like.    See  Blue  Bird,  etc. 

(90)  Eave  Swallow.    144.    See  (72). 

(91)  "  English"  Sriipe.    406.    See  (335). 

(92)  "English  Sparrow."    235;  C,  187. 

(93)  English  Tree  Sparrow,  etc.    236,  and  note. 

(94)  Falcons.    §  27,  II;  AA,  1;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  C,  341-347;  S,  5-13. 

(95)  Ferruginous  Thrush.    48.    See  (48). 

(96)  Field  J.ark.    241;  A,  2;  A  A,  4;  BB,2;  N,  1;  W,  3;  C,  214;  S,  406. 

(97)  Field  Sparrow.    215;  A,  2;  A  A,  3;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  2;  C,  179;  S,  358. 

(98)  Finches.    §  15;  A  A,  3;  BB,  1  and  2;  N,  1;  C,  136-209;  S,  303-398. 

(99)  Fire-bird.    252.    See  (7). 

(100)  Fish  Crow.    262,  NOTE;  A,  2;  AA,  4;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  5;  C,  229;  S,  429. 

(101)  Fish  Hawk.    373;  A,  1;  A  A,  1;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  W,  5;  C,  360;  8,  44. 

(102)  "  Flicker."    312.    See  (117). 

(103)  Flycatchers.    §  19;  AA,  1  and  7;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  2;  C,  240-263;  S,  120-147. 

(104)  "  Flycatchers."    §  13.    Also  §  9,  XI. 

(105)  Fly  catching  warbler  8.  §9,  XI  and  XII;  AA,2;BB.l;  N,1;C,  101-105;  S,  211-219. 

(106)  Fox  Sparrow.    221;  A,  2;  AA,3;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  3;  C,  188;  S,  374. 

(107)  Game-birds.    Chap.  V.,  p.  386;  AA,  chiefly  5;  W,  chiefly  6. 

(108)  Gerfalcon.    See  Gyrfalcon. 

(109)  Gnatcatchers.    §  3,  If;  C,  23-25;  S,  282-284.    See  (39). 

(110)  "  Goatsuckers."    §  20;  AA,  1;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  C,  264-268;  S,  lll-116a. 

(111)  Golden  Eagle.    367;  A,  2;  AA,  1;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  W,  7;  p.  13;  C,  361;  S,  39. 

(112)  Golden  "  Robin."    252.    See  (7). 

(113)  Golden  Warbler.    103.    See  (350). 

(114)  Golden-crowned  "  Thrush."    84;  A,  3;  AA,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  2;  C,  92;  S.  186- 

(115)  Golden-crowned  "  Wren"  or  Kinglet.    55;  A,  2;  AA,2;  B,  ?,  1;  BB,  1;  N,  1; 

W.I;  C,22;  8,162. 

(116)  Golden-winged  Warbler.    91;  A,  5;  AA,2;  B,  ?,  1;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  2;  C,  63; 

S,  181. 

(117)  Golden-winged  Woodpecker.    312 ;  A,  1 ;  AA,  1 ;  BB,  2 ;  N,  1 ;  W,  1 ;  C,  312 ;  S,  97. 

(118)  Goldfinch.    176;  A,  1;  AA,  3;  B,  ?,  1;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  1;  C,  149;  S,  313. 


448  INDEX. 

(119)  Goshawk.    358;  A,  2;  A  A,  1;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  W,  6,  p.  80;  C,  340;  S,  U. 

(120)  Grass  Finch.    200.    See  (14). 

(121)  Gray-cheeked  Thrush.    39;  BB,  1;  C,  5a;  S,  154. 

(122)  Gray  King-bird.    273,  (a),  note;  A  A,  1;  BB,  2;  C,  243;  S,  125. 

(123)  Great  Carolina  Wren.    74;  A,  1;  AA,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  2;  C,  47;  S,  265. 

(124)  Great  Crested  Flycatcher.    275 ;  A,  2 ;  AA,  1 ;  BB,  2 ;  N,  1 ;  W,  2 ;  C,  247 ;  S,  130. 
(124a)  Great  (Cinereous  or)  Gray  Owl.    331;  A,  4;  A  A,  1;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  C,  322;  S,  53, 

(125)  Great  Horned  Owl.    339;  A,  1;  AA,  1;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  W,  6;  C,  317;  S,  48. 

(126)  Great  Northern  Shrike.    161;  A,  2;  A  A,  4;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  1;  C,  134;  S,  236. 

(127)  Green  Black-capped  "  F,ly catcher."    129.    See  (28). 

(128)  Green-crested  Flycatcher.    See  (1). 

(129)  "  Greenlets»  =  vireos,  §  13. 

(130)  Grosbeaks.    §  15,  XXI,  XXII,  and  XXIII. 

(131)  "  Ground  Robin."    226.    See  (67). 

(132)  "  Ground  Sparrow."    §  15,  passim  (especially  XIII,  A). 

(133)  Grouse.    §  30;  A  A,  5;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  C,  380-388;  S,  459-470. 

(134)  Gyrfalcon.    347;  A,  2  and  4;  AA,  1;  BB,  3;  C,  341  &341a;  S,  11  and  12.    See 

§  27,  II,  (A). 

(135)  "  Hair-bird."    210.    See  (71). 

(136)  Hairy  Woodpecker.    321 ;  A,  5;  AA,  4 ;  BB,  2;  N,  1 ;  W,  1 ;  C,  298;  S,  74. 

(137)  •'  Hang-nest."    252.    See  (7). 

(138)  Harriers.    §  27, 1.    See  (179). 

(139)  Hawks.    §  27,  (especially  III  and  IV);  A  A,  1;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  C,  333-363;  S,  5-46. 

(140)  Hawk  Owl.    342;  A,  4;  AA,  1;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  W,  6;  C,  326;  S,  62. 

(141)  Hemlock  Warbler.    112;  A  A,  2;  N,  1;  W,  5.    See  (26). 

(142)  Hen  Hawks.    §  27,  especially  V,  (A)  and  (B);  AA,  1 ;  BB,  3;  N,  1 ;  W,  6. 

(143)  Henslow's  Bunting  (or  Sparrow).    193 ;  A,  1 ;  AA,  3 ;  BB,  1 ;  N,  1  (2d  ed.) ;  C,  163 ; 

S,  339. 

(144)  Hermit  Thrush.    34;  A,  1;  A  A,  3;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  5;»  C,  4;  S,  149. 

(145)  "  High-hole,"  etc.    312.    See  (117). 

(146)  Hooded  "Flycatcher  "  (or  Warbler) .    129,  NOTE  ;  A,  2 ;  A  A,  2 ;  BB,  1 ;  N,  1 ;  W,  3  ; 

C,  101;  8,211. 

(147)  Horned  Lark.  237.  See  (274). 

(148)  Horned  Owl.  339.  See  (125). 

(149)  House  Sparrow.    235;  C,  187. 

(150)  House  Wren.    75.    A,  1;  A  A,  2;  BB,  1;  N.  1;  W,  1;  C,  49;  S,  270. 

(151)  Hummingbird.    302.    See  (261). 

(152)  Hummingbirds.    §  22;  A  A,  4;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  C,  273-283:  S,  100-106. 

(153)  Indigo  Bird.    229;  A,  1;  AA,  3;  B,  $,  2;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  1;  C,  199;  S,  387. 

(154)  Ipswich  Sparrow.    195;  BB,  1;  C,  158;  S, . 

(155)  Jays.    §  18,  II  and  III;  AA,  4;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  C,  232-239;  S,  432-444. 

(156)  Jerfalcon.    347.    See  (134). 

(157)  Kentucky  Warbler.    88,  NOTE;  A,  1;  AA,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  3;  C.  96;  S,  175. 

(158)  King-bird.    273;  A,  1;  A  A,  1;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  2,  p.  66;  C,  242;  S,  124. 

(159)  Kingfisher.    305;  A,  1;  AA,  4;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  3;  C,  286;  S,  117. 

(160)  Kingfishers.    §  23;  A  A,  4;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  C,  286-287;  S,  117-118. 

(161)  "  Kinglets."    §  3, 1;  A,  2;  AA,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  1;  C,  21-22;  S,  161-163. 

(162)  Lapland  Longspur.    188;  A,  4;  AA,  3;  B,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  C,  153;  S,  326. 

(163)  Large-billed  Water  "  Thrush."    83 ;  A ,  1 ;  AA,  3 ;  BB,  1 ;  N,  1 ;  W,  3,  pi.  23 ;  C,  94 ; 


8  I  am  inclined  to  decide  that  fig.  2  of  pi.  45  is  that  of  the  Hermit  Thrush,  whereas 
confusion  with  the  Olive-backed  Thrush  occurs  in  the  text. 


INDEX.  449 

(164)  Lark  Finch.    189;  A,  5;  A  A,  3;  B,  1;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  C,  186;  S,  344. 

(165)  Larks.    §  16  (also  §  17,  1,  and  §  8). 

(166)  Least  Flycatcher  (or  L.  "  Pewee.")   288;  AA,  (1  ?«)  7;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  C,  258;  S,  142. 

(167)  Lesser  "Red-poll."    182;  A,  4;  A  A,  3;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  4;  C,  146;  S,  320. 

(168)  Lincoln's  Finch.    207;  A,  2;  AA,  3;  BB,  2;  N,  1  (2d  ed.)j  C,  167;  S,  368. 

(169)  Linne's  Hummingbird.    302,  NOTE;  C,  283;  S,  -  . 

(170)  "  Linnet."    174.    (Also,  §  15,  IV,  B,  and  V.)    See  (234). 

(171)  "  Log-cock."    324.    See  (224). 

(172)  Loggerhead  Shrike.    165;  A,  1  ;  AA,  4;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  3;  C,  135;  S,  237. 

(173)  Long-billed  Marsh  Wren.    78;  A,  1;  AA,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  2;  C,  51;  S,  268. 

(174)  Long-eared  Owl.    329;  A,  4;  AA,  1;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  W,  6;  C,  320;  S,  51. 

(175)  Longspur.    188.     See  (162). 

(176)  Louisiana  "  Thrush."    83.    See  (163). 

(177)  Magnolia  Warbler.    126.    See  t21). 

(178)  Marsh  Blackbird.    249.    See  (252). 

(179)  Marsh  Hawk.    346;  AA,  1;  B,  2,  p.  30;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  W,  6;  C,  333;  S,  38. 

(180)  Marsh  Owl.    330.    See  (276). 

(181)  "  Marsh  Robin."    226.    See  (67). 

(182)  Marsh  wrens.    §  7,  II,  especially  (B)  ;  AA,  2;  BB,  1  ;  N,  1  ;  C,  51-52;  S,  268-269. 

(183)  Martins.    §  12,  V.    See  (236). 

(184)  Maryland  "  Yellow  throat."    85;   A,  1;  AA,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  1,  and  $,2; 

C,  97;  8,170. 

(185)  Maynard>s  Sparrow.    195.    See  (154). 

(186)  Meadow  Lark.    241;  A,  2;  A  A,  4;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  3;  C,  214;  S,  406. 

(187)  Meadow  Wren.    77.    See  (275). 

(188)  Mealy  "  Red-poll."    182,  V,  (a),  NOTE;  A,  5;  AA,  3;  BB,  1;  C,  1466;  S,  321. 

(189)  Migratory  Thrush  =  Robin.    See  (257). 

(190)  Mocking  Bird.    45;  A,  1;  A  A,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  2;  C,  8;  S,  253. 

(191)  Mocking  thrushes.    §  1,  II  (and  III?);  AA,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  2;  C,  7-14;  S, 


(192)  Mottled  Owl.    335  ;  A,  1  ;  AA?  1  ;  BB,  3  ;  N,  1  ;  W,  3  ;  C,  318  ;  S,  49. 

(193)  Mourning  Warbler.    87;  A,  5;  A  A,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  2;  C,  S8;  S,  172. 

(194)  "  Mouse  Hawk."    346.    See  (179). 
(1!)5)  -Myrtle-bird."    124.    See  (356). 

(196)  Nashville  Warbler.    94;  A,  1;  AA,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  3;  C,  67;  S,  183. 

(197)  New  York  «  Thrush."    83.    See  (163). 

(198)  Night  "Hawk."    297;  A  A,  1;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  5:  C,  267;  S,  114. 

(199)  "  Nightingale."    A  name  applied  to  several  American  birds,  as  (344),  (350),  etc. 

(200)  "Night-jar."    295.    See  (336). 

(201)  Nuchal  Woodpecker.    318  at  bottom;  BB,  2;  C,  302a;  S,  86. 

(202)  Nuthatches.    §5;  A,  2;  A  A,  4;  BB,  1;  N.  1;  C,  38-41;  S,  277-281. 

(203)  Olive-backed  Thrush.    36;  AA,  "III,  pi.  cxlvii;  not  the  text";  BB,  1;  W,  5, 

pi.  45,  flg.  2  (  ?)  ;  C,  5  ;  S,  153. 

(204)  Olive-sided  Flycatcher.    280;  A,  2;  A  A,  1;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  C,  253;  S,  137. 

(205)  Orange-crowned  Warbler.    95;  A,  2;  A  A,  2;  B,  1;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  C,  68;  S,  184. 
(20!5)  Orchard  Oriole.    255;  A,  1,  A  A,  4;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  1;  C,  215;  S,  414. 

(207)  Orioles.    §  17,  V;  A,  1;  AA,  4;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  1;  C,  215-220;  S,  408-416. 

(208)  Osprey.    373.    See  (101). 

(209)  "  Oven-bird."    84.    See  (114). 


*  The  Musctcapa pusilla  of  Swainson  is  either  this  species  or  a  variety  of  Traill's 
Flycatcher. 

30 


450  INDEX. 

(210)  Owls.    §  26;  A  A,  1;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  C,  316-332;  S,  47-62. 

(211)  Pallas'  Thrush,    34.    See  (144). 

(212)  Palm  Warbler.    122 ;  B,  2.    See  (248). 

(213)  "  Partridge"  =  Quail,  p.  393,  and  Ruffed  Grouse,  p.  388.    See  (237)  and  (262). 

(214)  Passenger  Pigeon.    See  (346). 

(215)  " Peabody-bird."    217.    See  (344). 

(216)  Peregrine  Falcon.    348.    See  (87). 

(217)  Pewee  (or  «  Phoebe.")    277;  A,  2;  AA,  1;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  2;  C,  252;  S,  135. 

(218)  "  Pheasant."    388.    See  (262). 

(219)  Philadelphia  Vireo.    159;  BB,  1;  C,  124;  S,  244. 

(220)  Pigeons.    Chap.  IV;  AA,  4  and  5;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  C,  367-370;  S,  445-448;  inc. 

doves,  C— 377;  S— 455. 

(221)  Pigeon  Haiok.    351;  A,  1;  A  A,  1;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  W,  2;  C,  344;  S,  7. 

(222)  "  Pigeon  Hawk."    355.    See  (272). 

(223)  Pigeon  Woodpecker.    312.    See  (117). 

(224)  Pileated  Woodpecker.    324;  A,  2;  A  A,  4;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  4;  C,  294;  S,  90. 

(225)  Pine  Finch  (or  P.  Linnet).    180;  A,  2 ;  AA,  3;  BB,  1 ;  N,  1 ;  W,  2 ;  C,  148;  S,  317. 

(226)  Pine  (Bullfinch  or)  Grosbeak.    172;  A,  4;  A  A,  3;  B,  ?,  3;  BB,  1:  N,  1;  W,  1; 

C,  137;  S.304. 

(227)  Pine  Warbler.    120;  A,  2;  AA,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  3;  C,  91;  S,  198. 

(228)  Pinnated  Grouse.    387;  A,  2;  A  A,  5;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  W,  3;  C,  384;  S,  464. 

(229)  "  Pipit  ."    79.    See  (312). 

(230)  "  Politician."    160.    See  (328). 

(231)  Prairie  Warbler.    105;  A,  1 ;  AA,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  3;  C,  86;  S,  210. 

(232)  "  Prairie  Hen  "  (or  "  Prairie  Chicken").    387.    See  (228). 

(233)  Prothonotary  Warbler.    90;  A,  1;  AA,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  3;  C,  59;  S,  169. 

(234)  Purple  Finch.    174;  A,  1;  AA,  3;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  1  (and  yg.  5);  C,  139;  S,  305. 

(235)  Purple  GraUe.    258.    See  (81). 

(236)  Purple  Martin.    150;  A,  1;  A  A,  1;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  5;  C,  117;  S,  231. 

(237)  Quail.    393;  A,  1;  AA,  5;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  W,  6;  C,  389;  S,  471. 

(238)  Eaven.    262,  NOTE ;  A,  2;  AA,  4;  BB,  2;  N,  1 ;  W,  9;  C,  226;  S,  423. 

(239)  Red  Crossbill.    168;  A,  2;  A  A,  3;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  4;  C,  143;  S,  318. 

(240)  Red  Owl.    335;  W,  5.    See  (192). 

(241)  Red-bellied  Nuthatch.    66;  A,  2;  AA,  4;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  1;  C,  39;  S,  279. 

(242)  Red-bellied  Woodpecker.   315,  NOTE  ;  A,  5 ;  A  A,  4 ;  BB,  2 ;  N,  1 ;  W,  1 ;  C,  306 ;  S,  91. 

(243)  Red  Bird  =  Summer  Red  Bird;  136;  =  Cardinal  Grosbeak,  234. 

(244)  Red-eyed  Vireo.    155;  A,  2;  AA,  4;  BB,  1;  N,  1 ;  W,  2;  C,  122;  S,  240. 

(245)  Redheaded  Woodpecker.    315;  A,  1;  AA,  4;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  1;  C,  309;  S,  94. 

(246)  Red-naped  for  Red-throated)  Woodpecker.    318  at  bottom ;  BB,  2.    See  (201). 

(247)  "  Red-polls."    §  15,  V,  p,  182;  AA,  3;  BB,  1 ;  N,  1.    See  (167). 

(248)  " Red-poll"  Warbler.    122;  A,  2;  AA,  2;  B,  2,  p.  12;  BB,  ] ;  N,  1;  W,  4;  C,  90; 

S,  208. 

(249)  Red-shouldered  Hawk.    361;  A,  1;  AA,  1;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  W.  6,  and  4,  p.  73;  C, 

352;  S,  25. 

(250)  Redstart.    130;  A,  1;  AA,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  1  and  5;  C,  104;  S,  217. 

(251)  Red-tailed  Hawk.    360;  A,  1;  AA,  1;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  W,  6  (pi.  52,  fig.  1,  2);  C,  351; 

S,  23. 

(252)  Red-toinged  Blackbird,    249;  A,  1;  A  A,  4;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  4;  C,  212;  S,  401. 

(253)  Reed-bird  (or  Rice-bird).    243.    See  (42). 

(254)  "Republican"  Swallow.    144.    See  (72). 

(255)  Richardson's  Owl.    333;  A,  4,  p.  559;  A  A,  1,  p.  122;  BB,  3;  C,  327;  S,  55. 

(256)  Ring-tailed  Eagles  Golden  Eagle.    367.    See  (111). 

(257)  Robin.    41;  A,  2;  AA,  3;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  1;  C,  1;  S,  155. 


INDEX.  451 

(258)  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak.    232 ;  A,  2 ;  A  A,  3 ;  B,  $ ,  2 ;  BB,  2 ;  N,  1 ;  W,  2 ;  C,  193 ; 

8,380. 

(259)  Rough-legged  Hawk.    366;  A,  2;  AA,  1;  BB,  3;  N,  1,  pp.  97,  98;  W,  4;  C,  356; 

S,  30.    See  (18). 

(260)  Ruby-crowned  "  Wren"  (or  Kinglet).    53;  A,  2;  A  A,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  1;  C, 

21;  S, 161. 

(261)  Ruby-throated  Hummingbird.   302 ;  A,  1 ;  AA,  4 ;  BB,  2 ;  N,  1 ;  W,  2 ;  C,  275 ;  S,  101. 

(262)  Ruffed  Grouse.    388;  A,  1;  A  A,  5;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  W,  6;  C,  385*;  S,  465. 

(263)  Rusty  Blackbird  (or  Grakle).  256 ;  A,  2 ;  AA,  4 ;  BB,  2 ;  N,  1 ;  W,  3 ;  C,  221 ;  S,  417 . 

(264)  Sand  "  Martin"    148.    See  (9). 

(265)  "  Sapsucker."    §  25,  passim. 

(266)  Savannah  Sparrow.    197 ;  A,  2 ;  AA,  3 ;  BB,  1 ;  N,  1 ;  W,  3  and  4 ;  C,  159 ;  S,  332. 

(267)  "  Saw-whet "  Owl.    334.    See  (2). 

(268)  Scarlet  Tanager.    134;  A,  4;  AA,  3;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  2;  C,  107;  S,  220. 

(269)  Screech  Owl.    335.    See  (192)  and*(240). 

(270)  Sea-side  Finch.    190 ;  A,  1 ;  AA,  3,  pp.  103, 106 ;  BB,  1 ;  N,  1 ;  W,  4 ;  C,  165 ;  S,  342. 

(271)  Serin  Finch.    236,  NOTE. 

(272)  Sharp-shinned  Hawk.    355 ;  A,  4 ;  A  A,  1 ;  BB,  3 ;  N,  1 ;  W,  5,  and  6,  p.  13 ;  C,  338 ; 

S,  17.  • 

(273)  Sharp-tailed  Finch.    191;  A,  2;  AA,  3;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  4;  C,  166;  S,  341. 

(274)  Shore  Lark.    237;  A,  2;  AA,  3;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  1;  C,  53;  S,  302. 

(275)  Short-billed  Marsh  Wren.    77;  A,  2;  AA,  2;  BB,  1 ;  N,  1 ;  C,  52;  S,  269. 

(276)  Short-eared  Owl.    330;  A,  5;  AA,  1;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  W,  4;  C,  321;  S,  52. 

(277)  Shrikes.    §  14;  AA,  4;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  C,  134-135a;  S,  236-239. 

(278)  Siskin.    180.    See  (225). 

(279)  Sky  Lark.    237,  and  note  ad  fin.  of  §  16;  BB,  1.    See  (274). 

(280)  Slate-colored  Hawk  (of  Wilson).    355;  N,  1;  W,  6.    See  (272). 

(281)  Small-headed  Flycatcher.    129,  NOTE  ;  AA,  1 ;  BB,  1 ;  N,  1 ;  W,  6 ;  C, ;  S,  212. 

(282)  Snipe.    406;  A  A,  5  and  6;  BB,  4;  N,  2.    See  (349). 

(283)  Snotv-bird.    223;  A,  1 ;  A  A,  3;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  2;  C,  174;  S,  354. 

(284)  Snow  Bunting  (or  "  Snow-flake").    185 ;  A,  2 ;  AA,  3 ;  BB,  1 ;  N,  1 ;  W,  3 ;  C,  152 ; 

S,  325. 

(285)  Snowy  Owl.    341 ;  A,  2;  AA,  1 ;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  W,  4;  C,  325;  S,  61. 

(286)  Social  Sparrow.    210.    See  (71). 

(287)  Solitary  Vireo.    152;  A,  1;  AA,  4;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  2;  C,  127;  S,  250. 

(288)  Song  Sparrow.    202;  A,  1;  AA,  3;  BB,  1;  N.  1;  W,  2;  C,  169;  S,  363. 

(289)  Song  Thrush.    48;  also  29;  See  (48)  and  (341). 

(290)  Sparrows.    §  15,  IX-XV  (English,  XXIV,  XXV);  AA,  3;  BB,  1  and  2;  N,  1;  C, 

157-189a;  S,  331-376a. 

(291)  Sparrow  Hawk.    353 ;  A,  2 ;  A  A,  1 ;  BB,  3 ;  N,  1 ;  W,  ? ,  2,  and  <f ,  4 ;  C,  346 ;  S,  13. 

(292)  Sparrow  Owl.    333.    See  (255). 

(293)  Spotted  Grouse  (or  "  Spruce  Partridge").    386.    See  (54). 

(294)  Starlings.    §  17;  A  A,  4;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  C,  210-225a;  S,  399-422.      . 

(295)  Summer  Red  Bird.    136;  A,  1;  A  A,  3;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  1;  C,  108;  S,  221. 

(296)  Slimmer  Warbler  (or  Yellow  Bird).    103.    See  (364). 

(297)  Swainson's  Thrush.    36.    See  (203). 

(298)  Swallows.    §  12;  AA,  1;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  5;  C,  111-117;  S,  225-231a. 

(299)  Swamp  "  Robin."    226;  also  §  1, 1,  (C)  (and  D  ?).    See  (67)  and  (144). 

(300)  Swamp  Sparrow.    208;  A,  1;  AA,  3;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  3;  C,  168;  S,  369. 

(301)  Swamp  Thrush.    34.    See  (144). 

(302)  Swifts.    §  21,  A,  2;  AA,  1;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  5  (p.  48);  C,  269-272;  S,  107-110. 

(303)  Tanager  s.    §  10;  A  A,  3;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  C,  107-110;  S,  220-224. 

(304)  Tawny  Thrush.    32;  W,  5.    See  (350). 


452  INDEX. 

(305)  Tengmalm's  Owl.    A  European  owl,  of  which  Richardson's  Owl  is  a  variety. 

(306)  Tennessee  Warbler.    96;  A,  2;  A  A,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  3;  C,  69;  S,  185. 

(307)  "  Thistle-bird."    176.    See  (118). 

(308)  "  Thrasher."    48.    See  (48). 

(309)  Three-toed  woodpeckers.    §25,  IV,  p.  319;  A  A,  4;  BB,2;  N,  1 ;  C,  300-301a;  S,  82-84. 

(310)  Thrushes.    §  1;  AA,  3  (mocking  thrushes,  2);  BB,  1;  N,  1;  C,  1-14;  S,  148-15G 

and  253-261a. 

(311)  "  Thrushes."    §  9, 1;  AA,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  C,  92-94;  S,  186-188. 

(312)  Titlark.    79;  A,  1;  AA,  3;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  5;  C,  55;  S,  165. 

(313)  Titmice.    §  4;  A  A,  2;  BB,  ] ;  N,  1;  C,  27-37;  S,  285-300. 

(314)  "  Towhee"    226;  A,  1;  AA,  3;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  2;  C,  204;  S,  391. 

(315)  TraiWs  Fit/catcher.    284;  A,  1;  AA,  1;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  C,  257;  S,  140. 
(310)  Tree  Sparrow.    212;  A,  2;  A  A,  3;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  2;  C,  177;  S,  357. 

(317)  Turtle  Dove.    384.    See  (59). 

(318)  "  Turkey  Buzzard."    375;  A,  2;  AA,  1;  BB,  3;  N,  1 ;  W,  9;  C,  365;  S,  1. 

(319)  Tyrant  Flycatcher.    273 ;  W,  2.    See  (158). 

(320)  Varied  Thrush.    44;  A,  4;  A  A,  3;  BB,  1;  C,  2;  S,  156. 

(321)  "Tjjery"    32.    See  (350). 

(322)  Vesper  Sparrow.    200.    See  (14). 

(323)  Vireos.    §  13;  A  A,  4;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  C,  122-133;  S,  240-252. 

(324)  Virginian  "  Nightingale."    234.    See  (58). 

(325)  Virginia  Partridge.    393.    See  (237). 

(326)  Wagtails.    §  8;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  C,  54-56;  S,  164-166. 

(327)  "  Wagtails."    §  9, 1.    See  (311). 

(328)  Warblers.    §  9;  AA,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  C,  57-105;  S,  167-219. 

(329)  Warbling  Vireo.    157;  A,  2;  A  A,  4;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  5;  C,  125;  S,  245. 
<V330)  Washington  Eagle  — Bald  Eagle  (  ?).    369;  A,  1;  AA,  1;  S,  41. 

(331)  Water  "  Thrush."    81;  A,  5;  AA,  3;5  BB,  1;  N,  1  (W,  3?);  C,  93;  S,  187. 

(332)  Water  "  thrushes'*    §  9, 1,  (A)  and  (B) ;  AA,  3 ;  BB,  1 ;  N,  1 ;  C,  93-94 ;  S.  187-188. 

(333)  Water  "  Wagtail."    81.    See  (331). 

(334)  Water  Warbler.    83.    See  (163). 

(335)  Waxwings.    §  11;  AA,  4;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  C,  118-119;  S,  232-233. 

(336)  Whippoorwill.    295;  A,  1;  AA,  1;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  5;  C,  265;  S,  112. 

(337)  "  Whiskey-Jack."    268.    See  (55). 

(338)  White  Owl.    341.    See  (285). 

(339)  White-bellied  or  i  Nuthatch.    63 ;  A,  2 ;  AA,  4 ;  BB,  1 ;  N,  1 ;  W,  1 ;  C,  38 ;  S,  277. 

(340)  White-breasted    \  Swallow.    146 ;  A,  1 ;  A  A,  1 ;  BB,  1 ;  N,  1 ;  W,  5 ;  C,  112 ;  S,  227. 

(341)  White-crowned  Sparrow.    220;  A,  2;  AA,  3;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  4;  C,  183;  S,  345. 

(342)  White-eyed  Vireo.    160;  A,  1;  A  A,  4;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  2;  C,  129;  S,  248. 

(343)  White-headed  Eagle.    369.    See  (6). 

(344)  White-throated  Sparrow.    217;  A,  1;  AA,  3;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  3;  C,  182;  S,  349. 
(344a)   White-throated  Warbler.    92. 

(345)  White-winged  Crossbill.    170;  A,  4;  A  A,  3;  B,  ?,  2;  BB.J1;  N,  1;  W,  4;  C,  142; 

S,  319. 

(346)  Wild  Pigeon.    378;  A,  1;  AA,  5;  BB,  3;  N,  1;  W,  5;  C,  370;  S,  448. 

(347)  Willow  Warbler.    124.    See  (356). 

(348)  Wilson's  "  Black-cap."    129.    See  (28). 

(349)  Wilson's  Snipe.    406;  A,  3;  AA,  5;  BB,  4;6  N,  1;  W,  6,  p.  18;  C,  414;  S,  523. 


8  In  Audubon's  "  Birds  of  America  "  considered  identical  with  the  Louisiana 
Water  "Thrush." 
6  This  volume  has  not  yet  been  published,  Nov.  1876. 


INDEX.  453 

(350)  TF/Zwn's  Thrush.    32;  A,  2;  AA,  3;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  5,  p.  98;  C,  6;  S,  151. 

(351)  Winter  Falcon  (of  Wilson).    361;  W,  4. 

(352)  Winter  Wren.    71;  A,  4;  A  A,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  1;  C,  50;  S,  273. 

(353)  Woodcock.    399;  A,  3;  AA,  6;  BB,  4;  N,  1;  W,  6;  C,  412,  (English)  413;  S,  522. 

(354)  Wood  Pewee.    281 ;  A,  2;  AA,  1;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  2;  C,  255;  S,  139. 

(355)  Wood  Thrush.   29;  A,  I;  A  A,  3;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  1;  C,  3;  S,  148.    Wood  thrushes, 

§  1,  I,  (A-E). 

(356)  Wood  Wren  =  Winter  Wren,  71 ;  =  House  Wren ;  A,  2 ;  AA,  2 ;  S,  272. 

(357)  Woodpeckers.    §  25;  AA,  4;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  C,  293-314;  S,  72-99. 

(358)  Worm-eating  Warbler.    89;  A,  1;  AA,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  3;  C,  60;  S,  178. 

(359)  Worm-eating  warblers.    §  9,  IV,  V,  VI ;  A  A,  2 ;  BB,  1 ;  N,  1 ;  U,  59-69;  S,  178-185. 

(360)  Wrens.    §  7 ;  AA,  2 ;  BB,  1 ;  N,  1 ;  C,  43-52 ;  S,  262-273. 

(361)  "  Wrens  »    §  3, 1;  A,  2;  AA,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  1;  C,  21-22;  S,  161-163. 

(362)  "  Yellow  Hammer."    312.    See  (117). 

(363)  Yellow  Red-polled  Warbler.    122.    See  (248). 

(364)  Yellow  Warbler.    103;  A,  1;  AA,  2,  pp.  50  and  53;  BB,  1;  N,  1,  pp.  364  and  370; 

W,  2;  C,  70;  8,203. 

(365)  Yellow-bellied  Flycatcher.    288;  A  A,  7;  BB,  2;  C,  259;  S,  144. 

(366)  Yellow-bellied  Woodpecker.    317;  A,  2;  AA,  4;  B,  yg.,  1;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  1;  C, 

302;  S,  85. 

(367)  Yelloic-billed  Cuckoo.    307;  A",  1;  A  A,  4;  BB,  2;  N,  1;  W,  4;  C,  291;  S,  69. 

(368)  Yellow  Bird  =  Yellow  Warbler,  103;  =  Goldfinch,  176. 

(369)  Yellow-breasted  Chat.    132;  A,  2;  AA,  4;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  1;  C,  100;  S,  176. 
^370)  (  Yellow-crowned  or)  "  Yellow-rump"  Warbler.    124;  A,  2;  AA,  2;  BB,  1;  N,  1; 

W,  2,  andyg.,5;  C,  78;  S,  194. 
(370a)   Yellow-headed  Blackbird.    252,  NOTE. 

(371)  Yellow-shafted  Woodpecker.    312.    See  (117). 

(372)  "  Yellow-throat.^    85.    See  (184). 

(373)  Yellow-throated  Vireo.    153 ;  A,  2 ;  AA,  4;  BB,  1 ;  N,  1 ;  W,  1 ;  C,  126;  S,  252. 

(374)  Yellow-winged  Sparrow.    192;  A,  2;  AA,  3;  BB,  1;  N,  1;  W,  3;  C,  162;  S,  338. 

(375)  "  Yucker."    312.    See  (117). 


454 


INDEX. 


INDEX  TO   SCIENTIFIC  NAMES. 

(When  several  species  belong  to  one  genus,  they  have  been  here  given  in  the  same 
order  in  which  they  are  lettered.  The  Arabic  figures  refer  to  pages,  unless  preceded  by  a 
section-mark,  when  they  refer  to  the  families,  as  numbered  in  this  volume.  The  letters  in 
parenthesis  stand  for  authorities,  or  originators  of  the  scientific  names ;  A  for  Audubon, 
BD  for  Baird,  B  for  Boie,  BP  for  Bonaparte,  C  for  Cabanis,  CU  for  Cuvier,  G  for  Gray,  L 
for  Linnceus,  S  for  Swainson,  V  for  Vieillot,  and  W  for  Wilson.  Names  occurring  less  often 
are  given  in  full.  When  one  name  is  authority  for  both  genus  and  species,  it  is  given  but 
once.  When  there  are  two  authorities,  the  latter  is  usually  given  in  ordinary  mention  of 
the  bird ;  i.  e.  Ampelis  cedrorum,  BAIRD.  It  may  be  observed  that  most  of  the  scientific 
names  in  the  index  will  not  be  found  in  other  than  modern  works,  and  often  not  in  all  of 
those.  (The  sign  '  marks  the  accent.) 


Acci'piter  (BRISSON)/MSCMS  (BP).    355. 
Coope'ri  (BP).    357. 

jEgio'thus  lina'rius  (C).    182. 

var.  faces' cens  (CouES).  |   182, 
var.  exi'lipes  (CouES).    '  NOTE. 

Agelce'usphceni'ceus  (V).    249. 

Alau'didce.    §16. 

Alau'da  (auctorum)  arven'sis.    240. 

Alcedi'nidos.    §23. 

A  mmo '  dromus  mari '  timus  ( S ) .    190 . 
caudacu'tus  (S).    191. 

Am'pelis  (L)  cedro'rum  (BD).    137. 
gar'rulus  (L).    139. 

Ampe'Hdce,1  Ampelince.    §11. 

Antros'tomus  (GOULD)  voci'ferus  (BP).    295. 

A 'quila  (auctorum)  chrysa'etus  (L).    367. 

Archibu'teo  (BREHM)  la'gopus  (G),  var.  Sane' 
ti-Johan'nis  (RlDGWAT).    366. 

As'tur  (LACEPEDE)  atrieapil'lus  (BP).    358. 

Aves  ae'rece,    §1-29. 

Aves  terres' tres.    §30-32. 

Bona'sa  umbel'lus  (STEPHENS).  388. 
Bu'bo(CU)  Virginia' nus(RP).  339. 
Bu'teo  (CU)  borea'lis  (V).  360. 

linea'tus  (JARDINE).    361. 

Pennsylva'nicus  (BP).    365. 

Calandritince.    §16. 
Caprimul'gidce,  Caprimulgina.    §20. 
Cardina'lis  Virginia 'nus  (BP).    234. 
Carpo'dacus  (KAUP)  purpu'reus  (G).    174. 
Cathar'tes  au'ra  (ILLIGER).    375. 

atra'tus  (LESSING).    375. 
Cathar'tidce.    §28. 
Centu'rus  (S)  Caroli'nus  (BP).    315,  NOTE. 


Cer'thiafamilia'ris  (L).    68. 
Certhi'idce,  Certhiince.    §6. 
Cer'yleAl'cyon(R}.    305. 
Chcetu'rapela'gica  (STEPHENS).    299. 
Chondes'tes  (S)  gramma'ca  (BP).    189. 
Chorde'iles  (S)  Virginia'nus  (BP).    297. 
Chrysomi'tris  (B)  tris'tis  (BP).    176. 
pi'nus  (BP).    180. 
Cir'cus  cya'neus  (LACEPEDE). 

var.  Hudso'nius  (CouES).    346. 
Clamato'res.    §19. 
Coccy'gus  (V)  America' nus  (BP).    307. 

erythropthal'mus  (BD).    309. 
Coccyginte.    §  24. 
Colap'tes  aura'tus  (S).    312. 
CoUu'rio  (VIGORS)  borea'lis  (BD).    161. 

Ludovicia'nus  (BD).    165. 
Colum'bcK,  Colum'bidce,  Columbines.    §29. 
Con'topus  (C)  borea'lis  (BD).    280. 

rirens(C).    281. 

Cor'vus  (L)  America'nus  (A).    262. 
co'rax(L).    262,  NOTE. 
ossi'fragus  (W).    262,  NOTE. 
Cor'vidce,  §  18;  Corvince,  §  18, 1. 
Coturni'culuspasseri'nus  (BP).    192. 

Henslow'i(RP).    193. 
Co'tyleripa'ria(R).    148. 
Cucu'lidce.    §24. 

Cupido 'nia  (REICHENBACH)  cupi'do  (BD).  387. 
Cur  so' res.    §30,  etc. 
Curviros'tra  (SCOPOLI)  *  *  *  ,  var.  Ameri- 

ca'na  (COUES).    168. 
Curviros  'tra  leucop '  tera  ( W) .    170. 
Cyanospi'zacya'nea(ED).    229. 
Cyanu'rus  crista'tus  (S).    266. 
Cypse'lidce.    §21. 


1  An  accented  vowel  is  often  short,  as  in  Ampelidcs. 


INDEX. 


455 


Dendros'ca  (G)  cesti'va  (BD).    103. 

dis'color  (BD).    105. 

Pennsylva'nica(BD).    106. 

casta'nea  (BD).    108. 

stria 'ta  (BD).    110. 

Blackbur'nice  (BD).    112. 

cceru'lea  (BD).    114. 

carules' cans  (BD)  115. 

vi'rens  (BD).    117. 

pi'nus  (BD).    120. 

palma'rum  (BD).    122. 

corona'ta  (G).    124. 

maculo  'sa(  BD ) .    126. 
Doli'chonyx  oryzi'vorus  (S).    243. 

Ectopis'tes  migrato'rius  (S).    378. 
Empido'nax  (C)  STratHi  (BD).    284. 

mi'nimuA  (BD).    286. 

flaviven'tria  (BD).    288. 

Aca'dicus  (BD).    289. 

[pygmce'us.]    290. 
Eremo'phila  alpes'tris  (B).    237. 
Euspi'za  America 'na  ( B P ) .    228. 

FoZ'co  (L)  gyrfal'co.    347. 

commw'nts.var.  ana'fom(BP).    348. 

columba'rius  (L).    351. 

sparve'rius  (L).    353. 
Falco'nidce.    §27. 
FringiilidfB.    §15. 

Gallina'go  (LEACH)  Wilso'ni.    406. 
Gatti'nce.    §§30,31. 
Garrulince.    §  18,  II  and  III. 
Geothlypis  tri'chm  (C).    85. 

Philadelphia  (BD).    87. 
Goniaphea  (BOWDITCH)  coBrw'iea.    231. 
Grallato'res.    §32,  etc. 

JTaZia  eius  Zewcoce  'pftaZus  ( S AVIGNT) .    369 . 
Harporhyn' chus  ru'fus(C).    48. 
Helmintho'phaga  (C) pi'nus  (BD).    91. 

chrysop'tera  (BD).    91. 

leu'cobronchla'lis.    92. 

ruficapilla  (BD).    94. 

ceto'ta(BD).    95. 

peregri'na  (C).    96. 
ffelminthopha'gincs.    §9,  IV- VI. 
Helmi'therus  (RAFINESQUE)  vermi'vorus  (BP) 


7c<e'ria(V)t?i'rens(BD).    132. 

Icteriince.    §9,  XII. 

Ic'terus  (BRI880N)  Baltimo're  (BAUDIX).   252. 

«pM'rm*(BP).    255. 
Icte'ridas.    §  17. 
Icterince.    §  17,  V. 

Jiwn'co  (WAGLER)  hyema'lis  (SCLATER).   223. 

Lani'idce,  Laniince.    §14. 
Lino'ta  Brewsteri.    185. 

Afelaner'pes.erythroce'phalus  (S).    315. 
Melospi'zamdo'dia(W).    202. 
Lincol'ni  (BD).    207. 
palus'tris  (BD).    208. 
Mi'muspolyglot'tusCS).    45. 

Carolinen'sia  (G).    46. 
Mimina.    §1,11  and  III. 
Mniotil'ta  va'ria  (V).    97. 
Molo'thruspe'coris  (S).    246. 
Motacil  lidos.    §8. 
Afyiar'chuscrini'tu8(C).    275. 
Myiodioc'tes  Canaden'sit  (A).    127. 
pusil'lus  (BP).    129. 
mitra'tus  (A).    129,  NOTE. 
^us  (BD).    129,  NOTE. 


Hirun'do  (L)  horreo'rum  (BARTON). 
Hirundi'nida.    §  12. 
Hydtme'les  (BD  ? )  Ludovicia'na,  (L). 
Hylo'tomuspUea'tus  (BD).    324. 


142. 


See  Accipiter. 
Nycta'le  (BREHM)  Tengmal'mi. 

var.  Richardso'ni  (BP).  333. 
^co'dico  (BP).    334. 
Nyc'tea  (STEPHENS)  ni'vea  (G).    339. 

i 
Oporor'nis  a'gilis  (BD).    88. 

formo'sus  (BD).    88,  NOTE. 
(STEPHENS)  Virginia'nus  (BP).    393. 
Os'ctnes.    §§1-18. 
O'fus  (CU)  vulga'ri*  (L). 

var.  Wilsonia'nus  (ALLEN).    329. 
brachyo'tus.    330. 

Pan'dion  halia'etue  (SAVIGNY), 

var.  Carolinen'  sis  (BP).    373. 
Pa'rula  America  na  (BP).    99. 
PoVws  atricapil'lus  (L).    59. 

M«(FOR8TER).    63. 
Pa'ridce,  Parince.    §4. 
Pas'ser  domes'  ticus  (L).    235. 
Passer'  culua  (BP)prm'cep«  (MATNARD).  195. 

«avan'na  (BP).    197. 
'ca  (S).    221. 
Pas'  seres.    §1-19. 


456 


INDEX. 


Perissoglos' sa  tigri'na  (BD).    102. 

Periso'reus  Canaden'sis  (BP).    268. 

Petrocheli'don  lu'nifrons  (C).    144. 

Philohe'la  mi' nor  (G).    399. 

Pica' rice.    §§20-25. 

Pico' ides  (LACEPEDE)  arc'ticus  (G).    319. 

America' m*$(BREHM).  320, 
Pi'cus  villo'sus  (L).    321. 

pubes'cens  (L).    322. 
Pi'cidce.    §  25. 

Pini'cola  enuclea'tor  (V).  172. 
Pi'pilo  erythropthal'mus.  226. 
Plectropha'nes  niva'lis  (MEYER).  185. 

Lappo'nicus  (SELBY).    188. 
Poliop'tila  cceru'lea  (SCLATER).    58. 
Pooece'tes  grami'neus  (BD).    200. 
Prog'nepurpu'rea(B).    150. 
Protonota'ria  citrce'a  (BD).    90. 
Pyran'garu'bra(V).    134. 
CBSti'va  (V).    136. 
Pyr'gita  monta'na  (    ).    286. 

Quis'calus(V)purpu  'reus  (LlCHTENSTElN).  258 

and  var.  (e'neus  (BD).    261. 
Quiscalinas.    §  17,  VI  and  VII., 

Rapto'res.    Chap.  III. 

Ee'gulus  (CU)  calen'dula  (LlCHTENSTElN).  53. 

satra'pa  (LlCHTENSTElN).    55. 

Cuvie'ri  (AUD).    57,  NOTE. 
Regulince.    §  3, 1. 

Saxicol'idcK.    §11. 

Rayor'nis  (BP)/«s'cws  (BD).    277. 

Scoleco'phagusferrugi'neus  (S).    255. 

Scolopa' cidce.    §32. 

Scops  (SAVIGNY)  a'sio  (BP).    335. 

Seiu'rus  (S)  noveboracen' sis  (NUTTALL).    81. 

Ludovicia'nus  (BP).    83. 

aurocapil'lus  (S).    84. 
Seto'phaga  ruticil'la  (S).    130. 
Setophagince.    §  9,  XI  and  XII. 
Sia'tfo  (S)  siaZis  (BD2).    50. 
Sit'ta  (L)  Carolinen'sis  (GMELIN).    63. 

Canaden'sis  (L).    66. 
Sit' tides.    §5. 
Spheo'tyto  (GLOGER)  cumcula'ria. 

var.  hypogce'a  (CASSIN)  343. 
Sphyrapi'cus  va'rius  (BD). 

var.  nucha'lis  (ALLEN).    318. 


Spizel'la  socia'lis  (BP).    210. 

monli'cola  (BD).    212. 
iwsil'to  (BP).    215. 
Sturnel'la  (V)  mag'na  (S).    241. 
Strixflam'mea  (L),  America'na  (A).    328. 
Stri'gidce.    §26. 
Sur'nia  (DUMERIL)  M7wZa  (BP). 

var..ffMdso'm'ca(RiDGWAY).    342. 
Sylvico'lidce,§\j;  Sylvicolince,  §  9, 1-X. 
Sylvi'idce.    §  3. 
Syr'nium  (SAVIGNY)  Lappo'nicum  (L). 

var.  cine'reum  (RIDGWAY).    331. 
nebulo'sum  (G).    332. 

Tachycine'ta  (C)  W color  (CASSIN).    146. 
Te'trao  Canaden'sis  (L).    388. 
Tetrao'nidce,  Tetraonince.    §  30. 
Thryo'thorus  (V)  Ludovicia'nus  (BP).    74. 
Tro'chilusco'lubris^.    302. 
Trochi'lidce,  Trochilince.    §  22. 
Troglo'dytes  hyema'lis  (V).    71. 

ae'don(V).    75. 
Troglody'tidce.    §  7. 
Tur'dus  (L)  nmsteli'nus  (GMELIN).    29. 

fuccs'cens  (STEPHENS).    32. 

Palla'si(C).    34. 

Swainso'ni  (C).    3.6. 

Ali'cice  (CASSIN).    39. 

migrate' rius  (L).    41. 

nce'vius  (GMELIN).    44. 
Tur'didce,  §  1;  Turdince,  §  1, 1. 
Tyran'nus  (CU)  Carolinen'sis  (BD).    273. 

Dominicen' sis  (RICH).    273,  (a),  NOTE. 
Tyran'nidce.  Tyrannince.    §  19. 

Fi'reo  solita'rius  (V).    152. 

fla  vifrons  (V).    153. 

oKmceMS(V).    155. 

0i7  VMS  (BP).    157. 

Philadel'phicus  (CASSIN).    159. 

noveboracen' sis  (BP).    160. 
Vireo'nido2.    §  13. 

Xanthoce'phalus  icteroce'phalus  (BD).    252, 

NOTE. 

Zencedu'ra  Carolinen'sis  (BP).    384. 
Zonotri'chia  (S)  albicol'lis  (BP).    217. 
Jew  'cophrys  ( S) .    220. 


3  In  Dr.  Coues'  Check  List,  Haldeman. 


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The  land-birds  and 
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